


Precious cargo.

by Clickerteeth



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Attempted Sexual Assault, Canon-Typical Behavior, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Hate Sex, Hate to Love, Mutual Pining, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:27:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26177959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clickerteeth/pseuds/Clickerteeth
Summary: Being part of the Fireflies was risky business from the start. And after killing one of FEDRA's highest generals you've got hell of a hit marker on your head. Marlene foolishly handed you over to Tommy Miller who couldn't exactly get you to your next destination alone.Now you had to be escorted by his dangerous hunter of an older brother.A trip through at least four different states with a time bomb ready to go off at any moment. What could go wrong?(Set roughly 12 years into the apocalypse.)
Relationships: Implied Tommy/Reader, Joel & Tommy (The Last of Us), Joel/Reader, Tommy & Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 40





	1. First encounters.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter Warnings: Blood and gore, Brief mention of suicide,_

"C'mon keep up." Tommy spoke gently but sternly as you walked behind him. 

You readjusted your backpack as you jogged lightly to catch up. "So where are we going again?" You asked, as you squinted to look around the sun covered highway, the glare of the bright ball bouncing off of the half rusted vehicles that sat dormant around you. 

He sighed gently. "I got a brother up near Coker. Should be able to help us." He told you gently. "Since I can't take you the whole way." 

You frowned gently but nodded. "Joel?" You asked.

He nodded carefully as you came up to a part of the road that was caved in, Only the rusted safety bars being left standing while the asphalt crumbled and caved into the river below it. "Mhm." He mumbled as he thought of a way around the current obstacle. 

"Marlene said he's quite the piece of work." You admitted as you moved past him, brushing your hand gently across the bottom of his back as you did so. 

He scoffed. "She ain't wrong." He answered as he watched you test the strength of the metal bars before slipping onto it and starting to balance your way over, your arms were held out as you wobbled lightly. The threat of being thrown into raging waters down below, forcing you to stay straight as you got across. "Uh Y-Y/n be careful!" He called over to you as the bars creaked and groaned under you. 

"I'll be fine!" You said as you could feel part of it give way under you, forcing you to throw yourself over to the other side before the bar completely fell off and into the water. 

You scratched your head a little as you watched the bar float away aggressively, breaking apart as it hit rocks a little way down, showing you just how strong the current was. 

"Y'alright!?" Tommy asked, with a panicked tone, rushing to the edge of his side of the road.

You pried your eyes away from the water and looked up at him. "Yeah! Yeah I'm fine just gimme a second to find a way across for you!" You shouted back. 

"Be careful!" He sighed. 

You barely registered what he was saying before you started looking for something to get him across with. Searching high and low before an RV caught your eye. On the top of it was a ladder, one that seemed to be attached to a ladder rack. 

"Ah." You muttered before moving around to the front of the vehicle to climb up onto the hood, pulling yourself onto the roof. 

You scrunched your eyebrows before picking up what seemed to be a hunting rifle. You pulled on the bolt handle a little roughly since it was a little rusted, checking to see if it was loaded and sure enough it was. 

You turned to look over at Tommy who was watching you carefully, He threw his hands up in a motion to tell you to hurry up as you held the gun up. Giving him the thumbs up to tell him that it probably worked. Not that you were gonna shoot it and risk any nearby infected hearing. 

You slung it over your back before moving to try and get the ladder down. The chains keeping it in place groaning as they were disturbed for the first time in a very long time. 

You sighed and adjusted your shirt. The summer heat starting to make it stick to you. You spotted a lock and crouched down to grab at it, Hoping that you could just pick it and get the thing unlocked.

Did you really think it was gonna be that easy?

You growled a little frustrated as you looked into the keyhole, to see what looked like a broken off key. "The apocalypse? Make it easy for me? Nawhh never heard of." You grumbled as you started to try and pry the lock off. Deciding to use the butt of the rifle to break it. Which worked, the chain fell loose around the metal ladder, allowing you to pull it away and push it off of the roof. Making a loud clang noise. 

You froze in place for a second. Using your height advantage from the roof to check around for infected. 

None. 

You let out the breath you were holding and got onto the hood of the vehicle. Before you could step down you could feel a tight grip on your ankle. A Screech following it as you were pulled down, denting the metal of the vehicle.

"Y/n!" You could hear Tommy call for you as he tried to pull his gun out quickly. 

You pulled your head up to see the mangled fungal infused face of the infected, mashing its teeth aggressively as it tried to bite at you, forcing itself to crawl through the the broken windscreen, pulling it's flesh off in chunks on the smashed glass surrounding the hole.

Tommy tried to aim for the infected without hitting you but the commotion it was causing proved difficult. Watching your head pop into the view of his scope every so often. He couldn't afford to miss the monster and hit you. 

You kicked your legs aggressively, pushing it back as much as you could to give you time to roll off of the vehicle and onto the floor. Which you managed pretty well, although the grip it had on your ankle pulled it off too. Ripping its other arm off by the seams, spurting blood around you and over you forcing you to close your mouth tightly as you fought it. 

You pulled yourself back enough and reached out around you, hoping to grab something big and heavy or sharp enough to contain this fucking thing. 

Which is what happened, You felt around for long enough to grab a brick. Gripping it tightly as the clicker crawled up your body. Quickly hauling your arm over and smashing the brick into it. Sending it off of you and onto the floor next to you where you managed to get up and straddle it, smashing its skull in over and over until the gurgled cries and screams of it stopped. 

You dropped the now partially broken brick next to it, watching it roll off of the side of the road, making you realise just how close you were. 

You stood up and kicked the clicker off of the side, watching it slip into the water below and disappear. 

Tommy watched you carefully. His eyes never leaving you as you looked over at him. 

"Still not bitten!" You called over before moving to grab the ladder, setting it between a deep crack and a partially fallen car to get him across.

You held your hand out as he made his way across it, taking his hand and pulling him over. 

He checked over you a little and wiped away some of the blood that had gathered at your nose. "Well done." He praised with a pat to your shoulder before he started walking once more.

You smiled a little and continued walking on with him. 

It was crazy to think you'd survived to 27. 

You were just 15 when everything went to shit. Staying at a place in Richmond, Just south of Washington while your parents worked, Both of them being Military based, meaning you had to move around regularly. 

When you were all of a sudden moved to a fucking safe zone with a bunch of other families. Getting the heads up on the virus ahead of time. Your parents had to go out and serve while you were locked away safe with everyone else until they had it under control. 

You were all given the same briefing. A suspected Cordyceps related fungal virus has mutated from a virus that only claimed insects to one that can claim humans as it's host, turning them hostile, Aggressive, hungry. Making them monsters.

And your parents had gone out to fight them. To make sure that people were safe.

You were scared. Alone. For weeks. Until you realised that your parents weren't coming back from their duty. That you were really alone, surrounded by scared families, adults sheltering their young ones while FEDRA got the Quarantine zones set up fully. 

You ended up being moved down to The QZ in Macon, Georgia. 

You were all separated into sections, families being one, alone adults being another and alone kids being the last group. There were three of you alone.

You luckily got it easier since your parents were known within the military, and the officer that came to separate you had known you too. Giving a pitiful look as you followed him blindly, having nothing left. 

You couldn't lie, you thought you would be dead by now, whether it be by your own hand or the infected.

But nope, still going strong. 

Well. Strong isn't the word you'd use right now. Since the fireflies banded together and you became a part of it, seeing just how corrupt the military had become since declaring martial law. You'd grown quite the name. 

Helping other's find the light. Fighting for what you thought was the right cause. A better world, A cure for mankind, that was something you wished you could say you believed in. Maybe it was the more practical outlook in you but something was telling you that even if you could find some miracle cure, if the fireflies could make one, that it wouldn't be used fairly. To save people. Your bet was that it would become more of a bargaining chip. Considering the Fireflies were nowhere near as headstrong as FEDRA, nor did you have the same facilities. 

Your current position with the Fireflies had been knocked down a peg or two though, although you had a bit of command over things, since your stunt with Lieutenant colonel Davis Murray you had to go into hiding. 

You weren't normally the type to kill in cold blood. Far from it actually, you liked to try and give people a chance. But something changed in you. This man who'd caused more lives to be lost than what he could ever save, Had you cornered. Since you weren't exactly one to hide your firefly tags you only really had yourself to blame, but there was no way you were gonna let this pig take you. He'd probably pull your teeth before even thinking about killing you. You couldn't risk it. 

So you put a bullet between his legs and watched him bleed out. Not giving him the satisfaction of a swift death. That was up until you realised the shot alerted others, and then they saw your face. You know how the rest goes. 

So here you were, Being escorted by Tommy Miller to find his brother who seemed to know his way around the country a little better to get you to your destination. Which happened to be Canada. Marlene knew a few Fireflies over there that could use more people like you around. That was her way of telling you that you were a dead man over this side of the border. 

You snapped out of thought as you listened to Tommy rambling on. "Sorry what was that Tommy?" You asked, rubbing your face gently. 

"I said, Joel ain't the best around people generally. Especially not strangers, so when we get to Coker I need you to stay behind me. No killing." He ordered. "You just gotta let me do the talking." He explained.

You nodded as he turned to you. "What?" You asked watching as he looked over you. 

"You might wanna take off the Firefly patch." He suggested, Motioning to the black arm band with the Fireflies logo stitched into it. "Hunters don't take too kindly to this kinda thing." 

You would've asked how he knew that if you didn't know just where Tommy had been, The time you two spent together allowing you to know each other in a bunch of different ways. Some more intimately than others. 

You nodded and slid it off from around your arm, before you tucked your tags into your shirt. You looked down at the patch before over at Tommy who watched you carefully. A gentle, tired look to him. 

"Maybe we should stop for the day." You said moving to throw your patch off of the highway as you continued to walk.

He scoffed gently. "We're nearly there, what's the point in stopping now?" He asked.

You kicked a few pebbles as you walked, looking at the small ponytail that hung gently on the back of his head. "I mean I doubt your brother is gonna give me a break when you've shoved me over to him." You sighed.

"I ain't shovin' you over, don't say that." He told you off. "If I could take you m'self I would." He admitted. 

"How do you know if he's gonna actually do this anyway? I could just go on my own." You chattered. Making idle conversation as you walked. 

He slowed down to walk next to you and sighed. "He owes me. Whether or not he's gonna agree with that statement he does." He explained. "But Marlene also has a deal for him. Involvin' a few weapons as trade." 

"Where'd she get weapons to trade?" You asked curiously. 

"From the Q-" Before Tommy could finish his sentence both of you were sprinted into from behind, being knocked to the floor. 

You instinctively put your hands out in front of you to brace yourself but that didn't stop you from clonking your head on the street as whoever this was tried to flip you over.

"Get- The fuck- Off of me!!" You struggled as you kicked your legs and threw punches at the masked person. 

Tommy was fighting another man off next to you, seeming to match the other persons movements quite similarly. 

You could feel blood starting to rush to your head as said person on top of you wrapped one of their hands around your throat, using the other to punch you in the nose a few times.

"Joel! Joel It's me!" Tommy called out. Trying to grab his brother's wrists to stop him from punching anymore. "It's me." He breathed as the punches finally stopped.

Joel looked down at him for a second. Shocked and surprised to see his baby brother. "Let up!" He called over to the man on top of you.

Your vision was starting to go blurry as you held the man's wrist, your other hand making it's way to your knife before you grabbed it and tried to stab the man. Your hand almost immediately being pinned.

"I said- Enough!!" Joel growled throwing the man off of you.

You gasped for air and tried to get up, forcing yourself onto your side as you coughed harshly. "Fuck-" You croaked as Tommy quickly moved to you to pull you up. 

"You're alright." He reassured as he grabbed your knife for you. Pushing you behind him a little as he came face to face with Joel once more.

"What the hell are you doin' here?" The older Miller growled.

Tommy stared at him for a second. "I got a job for you." 


	2. The exchange.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter Warnings: Canon typical Blood & Gore, _

"Nuh uh. No way. I am _not_ doin that Tommy!" Joel growled at his brother as he paced. 

You'd been taken down to a small town that the hunters had taken over, Joel found a building that was quiet enough where you could talk. Two of his 'buddies' accompanying him. Both of them leaning against furniture around you, eyeing you up like some fresh meat. Which is exactly what you were to them, but you wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Joel c'mon-" 

"No. You can't come here and ask this of me! Not after the shit you pulled in Monroe!" He yelled angrily. 

You leaned against the table, staring down his fellow hunters as they did so to you while you dabbed some of the blood that was dripping out from your nose. God you hated this situation so much. Joel was really seeming to be a piece of shit huh? When you told Tommy that Marlene had called his brother 'A piece of work' That was the nice way of putting it. She'd told you just how bad he could and probably would be, and if it wasn't for the fact that he knew his way around, she wouldn't dare send you out with him. 

She trusted you to defend yourself with him, that was another reason she was okay with it. She knew that you'd tell him straight, and if he went for you, you had no problem in fighting back. 

That was before you saw the size difference between you. The man is built like a brick shit house. You could tell that he'd hardened throughout the apocalypse but he must have had fair muscles before hand too. 

You sighed as you could hear his voice dominating over his brothers as he tried to explain the situation calmly. "Jesus Christ." You huffed as you pushed yourself off of the metal, rusty, blood stained table. 

The two goons by the wall watched as you walked around to talk with the biggest of them. "It's a simple drop off." You told the older Miller. "You get me to where I need to be. You come back and get payment. Instead of arguing like children how about we talk like adults." 

Joel seemed to be taken aback briefly. His eyes flickering from you to his brother as Tommy pat your side a little, giving you a look as if to scold you for not letting him deal with it.

You raised an eyebrow at him as looked at you. "So? Why not back off of him and talk, Because it's not like he's asking you to do this for free." You said pulling out a piece of paper from your backpack, unfolding it and holding it out in front of you.

Joel glared at you before snatching the paper away to look at it. "I didn't know you needed a woman to look out for you baby brother." He mocked. The two other men snickering behind you.

"And I didn't know you had to revert to mocking 'humour' To deal with someone who isn't willing to put up with your bullshit." You bit back. 

Tommy looked a little surprised at you, he'd never personally seen this side of you. He'd heard of it. But to witness it was completely different. You weren't backing down from a man who looked like he could crush your skull in his palm. "Y/n." He said quietly, hoping you'd reel it in a little. 

You were tired, hungry, dirty and you'd been travelling with the younger Miller for about a week, with barely a rest stop. You just wanted to get this over with. 

Joel looked over the list of payment for him. It included weapons and a few ration cards, if he ever wanted to get back into a QZ which he most likely would since he never stayed in one place for more than a year or so normally.

"Joel if you do this, You can take her, come back, i'll bring your payment and you'll never have to see me again." He promised. Thinking that since their argument a year or so back that he really wouldn't want to be around him after the things they said to each other. 

Joel sighed and looked over the list. "And what makes you think I'll do this for you?" He asked, his voice deep and calm. 

"Because you'll get something out of it. I know better than anyone that Joel Miller doesn't do anything for free." Tommy explained. 

The older Miller chewed on his lip as he considered it. "Where does she need to go? I mean, with a payment like that it ain't exactly gonna be close." He asked.

Tommy was silent for a second. "Canadian border." 

Joel's face dropped. "Did- Did I just hear you right?" He asked. 

You sighed and wiped the slow dripping blood from your nose once more as it started to calm down. "You don't have to do this. Tommy just tell Marlene that i'll radio over to her when i'm there. She can keep everything." You tried to tell him. 

"I didn't say I wouldn't take you." Joel butted in. "Just- Why are you going to Canada?" He asked before lifting his hand up. "Actually. I don't care. It's a job." He agreed.

Tommy let out a sigh of relief. "So you'll do it." 

Joel tucked the paper away into his back pocket and nodded before crossing his arms, the worn down fabric of his plaid shirt stretching around his biceps and shoulders. He took a deep breath and sighed. "Yeah. I'll do it." He watched as the stress in his brother's face noticeably faded. 

"Thank you." He said genuinely. 

You were walked out of the house and walked Tommy back up to the road. Everything silent between you. 

Once at the top you watched as the younger one turned around to face you. A sad smile wriggling its way onto his face. 

You moved forward and wrapped your arms around his neck. Pushing yourself onto your tippy toes a little, trying to get closer. His hands snaking under your backpack and around you, pulling you to him tightly.

You sighed deeply and buried your head into his neck. "I'm gonna miss you." You admitted. 

He chuckled breathlessly. "You 'n me both..." He said quietly. 

Joel watched you both, the interaction seeming to be a little more than just travel partners. Not that he cared. Or should care. 

You pressed a sloppy kiss to his cheek with a grin as you pulled back, letting your hands slip from around him as he did you.

Tommy made a face of playful disgust as he wiped your saliva off of his face. "Thanks for that." 

"How else you gonna remember me?" You smiled gently, watching as he chuckled before moving over to his brother. 

You turned to quietly watch the exchange between them. A rough arm pat and a thank you before Tommy headed back on his way. Leaving you in the very unsafe hands of his ticking time-bomb brother.

Everything was quiet as you watched him walking away for a second.

"C'mon." Joel ordered as he pried his gaze away from his brother and started walking back down to the abandoned town, inhabited with hunters. 

You turned your head around to him as he started walking. Moving to follow. "We leaving now?" You asked. 

He didn't answer. Just continued walking while the other two hunters talked amongst themselves. Looking over to you every so often. Which you couldn't lie, made you nervous. But hopefully Joel wasn't gonna let anything happen. 

Considering he knew these people and you didn't, you'd hope that if they tried something he'd be in between you to make sure nothing bad happened. But then again he was one of them. 

This town was full of hunters, all spread out in their own little groups to make sure that they caught any 'tourists' that even dared to enter. How people could do the things that they do to others was beyond you. There was surviving and then there was this. Two completely different things. You'd rather take your life than let any of them get the chance. 

You were snapped out of it when you walked into the back of Joel who'd stopped in the middle of the road. A grunt escaped you as you stumbled backwards lightly, Moving to cast your gaze up at him as he spoke to the others. Shrugging off whatever they were talking about, telling them that he could deal with it when he made it back, _If_ he made it back. Before they wandered off.

Joel turned around and started walking a different way, assuming you'd just follow. Which you did. This was all unfamiliar territory for you. 

Everything on this side of town seemed darker, even more abandoned than the side you were previously on. Clouds seemed to favour it, adding to the dim apocalyptic setting along the houses that were either caved in already or hanging on by a thread. 

He took a turn down a side alley between two buildings and moved towards a dumpster that was covering a hole. He pulled the big hunk of rusty metal to the side, a few grunts accompanying him as he did so before he moved to stand next to it, bringing his gaze up to yours. 

You stared blankly at him for a second before realising what he was doing. "Oh!" You exclaimed quietly before ducking down and crawling through the hole into the dark building. Your guard up completely as you tried to look around. The only light coming through being from the hole behind you. 

You tensed up as Joel crawled in behind you, pulling the dumpster up to seal off the light once more. You listened and stood quietly as Joel shuffled around. Moving to what you assumed was a table before you could hear the clicking of a gas lantern. Not long after a dim warm light erupted into the room, showing you just what there was. 

A few tables lined what seemed to be the back room of a store along with a sturdy looking door protecting you from the front of it. There were a few things placed around. What seemed like a work bench connected up to a partially broken bed that had a thin sheet over it. 

You turned to watch Joel pull a thick square piece of plywood over the covered hole. 

_Jesus, paranoid much?_ You thought to yourself.

You watched as he turned back towards the bench. "Soo..." You started.

"Here's whats gonna happen." He bit as he turned to you. "You're gonna listen to me. Everything I say you need to do alright?" He growled a little, his voice was tired. But not the kind of 'I didn't sleep last night.' It was more like 'I haven't slept in 12 years.'

It took you back momentarily before you managed to get a few words out. "I'm not a kid." You told him. "Really, you don't have to boss me around like one." Your voice was calm but it had a lightly condescending undertone to it.

Joel just stared at you for a second before sighing. "Whatever." He grumbled before moving to throw himself down onto the broken bed, fluffing the pillow lightly to make sure that no bugs had crawled their way into it. 

You threw your hands up lightly as you watched him lay down. "You gonna tell me what we're doing here?" You asked as he closed his eyes.

"Waiting." He grumbled. 

"Waiting..." You muttered under your breath. "Okay waiting for what?" You enquired.

"Night fall." Joel muttered, you could tell that he was already starting to fall asleep where he laid. 

You leaned against one of the tables and scrunched your eyebrows in confusion. "Why?" You asked.

He let out an annoyed sigh. "Because if you wanna make it out of this town alive, you're gonna have to do it at night." He explained, crossing his arms across his chest, his body still rigid and tense. That seeming to be its natural position. 

You raised your eyebrows. "Excuse me?" 

"They won't let you leave willingly." He told you. 

"Then why are you helping me? You could just team up with them, kill me and then in a few weeks tell Tommy that I'm alive and over the border." You explained, realising that if he hadn't had that idea already that you'd just given him it.

"Because." He bluntly replied.

"Wha- What do you mean because I just wann-"

"Will you just please get some rest." He barged. "We got a lot of travellin' to do and I don't need you whinin' in my ear about how tired you are." He pointed out. 

You huffed a little childishly before taking your backpack off, moving to slide your back down the wall to sit straight against it and your knees pulled to your chest. 

Joel dimmed the light to almost nothing before resuming his attempt at sleep. Which you actually joined him in. Letting your lids fall heavily together, letting your head fall forward onto your arms.

You were oh so rudely awaken by a gentle kick to your foot. 

"Get up." Joel grumbled, sounding like he'd just woken up. Which he probably had to be fair. 

Your eyes shot open and you glared up at him through the darkness momentarily. The light that once illuminated the room gone as the gas had run out in the lantern.

You pulled yourself up and grabbed your backpack, slinging it over your shoulders before moving to follow the man to the door. 

He turned to you for a second unable to see your features in the dark. "You stay right on my heels alright?" He whispered.

You nodded "of course." You added, realising that the visual response wasn't gonna be seen. 

Joel nodded to himself as he tried to pry the door open. It definitely hadn't been used in a while. 

You assumed this is where Joel kept his own findings. Not even trusting his fellow hunters, and with good reason too.

You watched as he pushed it open as far as he could sticking his head out to see if the coast was clear before he forced his way through the gap in the door. 

You followed behind him quietly as he walked into the store front. It was what seemed to be an old corner store judging by the few rows of shelves and the counter with a beaten up cash register sitting on it. 

You thought back to the days where money had any meaning and worth. When the outbreak first hit, a few people went nuts on trying to get cash. Assuming that the economy would restore itself within a few weeks and that they would be stinking rich.

Oh boy were they wrong.

You tip toed your way around, following Joel's footsteps. The moonlight helping give you some light as you tried to move. It was better than nothing.

You got to the front of the store, looking out the window before Joel yanked you down by your arm. It felt like he was gonna pull it out of its socket, not to be too dramatic. 

You gasped and glared at him before realising he had his finger pressed to his lips. 

You could feel your heartbeat pick up as nerves shot through you. The light echo of footsteps followed by voices making you nervous.

"I don't know man have you seen the dude? He's jacked as shit. I sure as hell don't wanna go up against him." One of the hunters chattered.

"He's an old man I don't know what you're so scared of." The other piped up teasingly.

The first one scoffed " 'Old man.' Just because he's older than you doesn't mean he's an old man." He argued.

"What is he like nearly 40? That's old dude." The voices started to trail off as they walked past the building.

You looked to Joel who was looking around. Once he had deemed it safe enough he stood up moving towards the front door. The faint click of the lock breaking the almost deafening silence.

He took a breath before starting to push the door open. The old, worn down, rusty hinges threatening to creak louder with each push he gave it.

He looked to you and motioned his head towards the door, letting you slip out first before quickly following. 

You watched as he looked around momentarily before making his way towards a complex building. Trying the handle quietly. Letting out an annoyed grunt as it wouldn't budge. 

"Shit." He grumbled, stepping back away from it and to your side.

You looked up at him and raised your eyebrow "What do we need in there?" You whispered.

"That's our safest way out." He huffed. 

You pursed your lips as you flicked your flashlight on low, hoping that the dim light wouldn't alert anyone. Scanning the building for any entry. 

Joel was doing the same thing, leaving you to your own devices. Which might have been a mistake on his hand since you were never one to stay put.

"We're gonna have to-" he started as he turned back to where you were supposed to be standing, seeing that you weren't there upon his return. 

But your bag was. It sat still where you were stood while you were gone.

"Y/n?" He whispered loudly as he looked around, Annoyance and panic mixing into his voice. 

He turned his attention to the door that was rattling gentle. Pulling his gun out and aiming it where the average human head would be. Waiting for whatever it was to burst it's way out.

His grip on the weapon tightened as the door opened. The soft light of your flashlight illuminating your proud face as you held a pipe over your shoulder. 

"Ta-da!" You said smugly before moving to grab your bag off of the street. Following Joel inside the building before closing the door behind you.

Before you could speak up Joel had turned to you "What the hell was that?'' He growled. 

You scrunched your eyebrows "Excuse me?" You asked.

"I told you to stay on my heels. Do you know what that means?" He huffed. 

"I-"

"It means you stay behind me. Stay on my ass. Whatever way you wanna say it." He ranted quietly.

"Well I'm sorry but if I had "stayed on your ass" then we wouldn't be in here right now would we? We'd still be out there in even more danger while you looked around like a dope." You argued using finger quotations as you repeated his terms.

"Two sets of eyes are better than one." You tried to tell him.

You rolled your eyes as he seemed to storm off like a child. Flicking his own flashlight on as he made his way through the rooms.

Eventually after following him blindly around the big complex you started to think. "Hey Joel?" You asked. 

"What." He grumbled.

"Why was there a bar on the door?" You questioned. "I mean it can't have always been there if you weren't expecting it to be locked." You pointed out.

He actually took it into thought for a second. "I don't know." He finally replied. 

"When was the last time you came through here?" You prodded. 

"Jesus Y/n I don't know, a few months ago?" He huffed letting his hands flop against his sides after throwing them up a little. 

You pursed your lips together and decided it was best if you took your knife out of its sheath. Holding it tightly in your hand as you wandered the floors.

There had to be some sort of reason. It was bugging you, like an itch you couldn't quite scratch. One of those really annoying ones you get at the back of your throat sometimes.

You gasped a little as you got to the 3rd floor. Hearing a few, what seemed to be paint cans, get knocked over before two or three pigeons flew out from them. Taking a quick detour up through the hole in the ceiling.

You could hear a relieved sigh come from Joel as the birds dispersed, before he started to go on his way again.

You gave the back of the hall a once over before following him once more. Stopping to look in one of the fortunate rooms that didn't have military grade lock on it. 

Curiosity got the best of you and you quietly slid into the room to look around. Everything was either broken or missing. The building itself was falling apart from the inside out and you could really tell with these rooms.

Your head shot up as you heard Joel let out a surprised yell. Moving quickly you sprinted out of the room to see that a stalker had him pinned against a few stacked tables.

Without even thinking you slung yourself at it before ripping the thing away, pushing it against the wall before shoving your knife up into its cheek at a rather awkward angle. Most likely cutting through the eye and straight to the brain. As the thing stopped moving, It's garbled shrieks dying down as you stabbed it once more just to be sure.

You watched as it slid down the wall before quickly moving to Joel "Holy shit Joel I- I'm so sorry are you okay?" You asked moving to place your hand on his arm.

He tensed harder than he already was, which should be impossible, the sudden soft non aggressive touch taking him back a little.

"Lets just... get the fuck out of here..." he panted as he moved to make his way up to the roof.

You sighed gently and straightened your backpack before following after him.


	3. Jump start.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter Warnings: Graphic depiction of corpses, implication of suicide,_

Getting out of the building was easy, You just had to make your way to the top floor before had set out a plank for you to get from one rooftop to the other. You hate to admit it but you kind of worked well together to get out of the city. 

But as soon as you were out of that danger, Joel went right back to being a grumpy bastard. 

You'd been walking for a few hours at this point. Joel always a few steps ahead while you trailed behind him. There was something so intriguing about the older man, he was definitely hitting his 40's now. Well according to Tommy he's 39? You think. And as much as you'd like to say he was ungracefully following his age, he wasn't. He was stupidly attractive. But that was just an observation on your part. 

"Hey Joel?" You called out. Watching as he scanned the area around you as you walked.

After a moment of silence he finally spoke up. "What?" He asked, not stopping or slowing down for you.

You sighed and jogged forward to meet up with him. "So what are we gonna do now?" You asked. "I mean we haven't really spoken about a plan other than getting out of Coker which we've done successfully." 

He thought about it a little and looked down at you, watching as you raised your eyebrows waiting for his response. "We gotta find a map." He told you bluntly. 

Your eyes lit up a little as you started to take your bag off of your shoulder. "I have a map." You told him, reaching in to look for it. 

Joel brought himself to a stop as he watched you move to a nearby car, putting your backpack down onto the hood before rummaging through it. You pulled out a folded, aged, dirty old map of America before passing it to Joel who peeled it open carefully before setting it down next to your bag. 

"Alright." He breathed as he leaned over it. 

"If we cut over the 82 and through Echola we might be able to make it to the 171 by nightfall." He ordered, pointing at each road and location that he could on the map. Not even bothering to look up at you to see if you were listening and or on the same page as he was. "We ain't gonna get to the border any quicker if we don't get a car. So we'd be best off checking a few of the ones on the highway before anything else." He told you.

You nodded before taking the map back and putting it back in your bag, slinging it back over your shoulders. "Alright." You sighed as you tried to pump yourself up for the long journey. "How long do you think it'll take us to get there?" You questioned.

Joel sighed rubbing his beard as he started walking again. "I don't know, I'd say a month or two if we're lucky. But the likelihood of the main roads being broken down or too dangerous to cross are high." He told you honestly. 

You could feel your stomach drop and the daunting amount of time it would probably take you. You were beginning to wonder if it was really worth it or if you were just better off hiding out in the woods or something. "Right..." You mumbled as you trailed up behind him. Checking the surrounding cars to see if anything was worth attempting to try.

"Thank you... By the way..." You said a while after starting your trip again, looking at the back of him, once again. He'd probably forgotten you were even there with how he did things. He was very much an 'every man for himself' kind of guy from what you could tell. 

"For what?" He spoke up after a moment of silence, just the trees off the highway rustling as a warm breeze drifted through. 

"For doing this. I mean I know you didn't have to but its appreciated." You admitted as you kicked a few pebbles while walking. 

Joel was quiet for a moment, his shoulders sagged before he stiffened back up almost immediately, as if his own reaction had caught him off guard. "I'm not gonna turn down the pay." He deadpanned.

You frowned gently but nodded. "Right." You hummed before picking the pace up once more.

You were walking for what felt like hours. The heat picking up harshly since it was the summer, going up to about 90 °F or roughly 34 °C. You could feel the heat from the asphalt starting to prick through your shoes a little dangerously as mid day rolled around. 

"We need to get off the highway." Joel panted.

You nodded in agreement as you walked near the right side. Spotting an old house in the distance. "Hey maybe there's a car down there?" You said scoping it out where you could, They had what seemed to be a tight locked garage attached to the house. 

You looked over the side before deciding to jump over it, landing on the banking the other side. 

"Y/n-" Joel started as he turned back to watch you do it. "Y/n get back here." He tried to order. Which you didn't listen to at all. Moving your way through the cooler tall grass towards this lonesome house, forcing Joel to follow you down. 

You looked around before getting closer. You came up to the fence and noticed a sign with a bell attached to it. "Ring if friendly..." You mumbled. You took another look at the house to see if you could see any signs of life in it. Which you couldn't. So what would it hurt if you rang the bell. 

You moved your hand towards it to grab the rope before feeling a calloused large hand grab your wrist sternly.

"The hell are you doin?" Joel growled through panted breath.

You looked at his grip on you as you instinctively moved your hand away from the rope. "It says ring if friendly. No ones here who cares."

Joel looked a little dumbfounded. "First of all." He started. "We _ain't_ friendly. Second of all, if there is anyone living in there, that gives them the go ahead that they could shoot us. And third of all It'll attract every infected in a three mile radius with how loud that thing'll go." He scolded before letting your hand go. 

You huffed, rubbing your wrist a little dramatically before hopping the fence. "Alright, sorry. Jesus." You apologised as you made your way up to the house quietly. 

Joel shook his head before jumping over the fence behind you, following you up as you made your way onto the front porch. "This place is a waste of time."

You ignored him, trying the door quickly and to your surprise it was unlocked. Swinging open with that classic horror film creak. The minute you stepped in you had to cover your nose, a foul stench punching you right in the nose. "Oh my god." You gagged as you covered your mouth and nose before moving to grab your gas mask, hoping that it would filter out some of the smell. 

Joel watched as you did it, climbing up the porch stairs after you. Moving to put his own mask on the minute a tiny waft of the smell hit him. 

You wandered in with your gun out, carefully looking around the place, All of the curtains were drawn, the only bit of light escaping through the front door. Forcing you to turn your flashlight on. 

Your blinked away the tears that were gathering in your eyes from the smell alone, before actually trying to look around. You turned to Joel who was on high alert himself. "Stick together?" You asked quietly.

He nodded gently. "Stick together." He repeated in agreement before you both started to move around. 

There wasn't really much downstairs, a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a half used med kit, but other than that it was empty. You did however find the garage door, but it was locked, and instead of rushing to bust it down you thought that the top floor might be hiding something for you. Hopefully a key. 

You wandered up the stairs first, Joel trailing up behind you. Each step crying and creaking as you made your way up. Avoiding any holes in the rotten wood just in case it gave way and you got yourselves stuck. 

In front of you were three doors. One that was boarded up and the other two that were completely opposite each other. You looked behind you to see Joel leaning against the banister a little. "You wanna go first?" You asked, a sheepish smile gracing your cheeks as you motioned to the door in front of you, not that he could really see it since your mask was covering everything.

Joel rolled his eyes letting out a disapproving sigh before marching forward, moving you out of the way in the process before he carefully opened the door. It was, what looked like, a child's bedroom. Or children I should say. There was a bunk bed sat in one corner and a single bed in the other, the place was ruined. Naturally the wallpaper had started to peel and mould had given the walls a run for its money but other than that there were clothes everywhere. Like an abundance of clothing, ranging from toddler clothes, to fully grown adult clothing. All piled up high into one room. 

Joel stepped in to take a look around and you let your curiosity get the better of you, the door at the other end of the hallway whispering your name.

You quietly made your way over to it. Grabbing the handle before pushing the door carefully open. You watched as a lot of spores pushed their way out, making you tighten the grip on your gun as you tried to see past how thick it was. Then everything started to clear up and you got a good view of the sight in front of you. Your shoulders sagged and a frown tugged at your lips. 

Joel sighed as he made his way towards the room you were in, noticing the cloud of spores you'd walked into. He came up behind you and tried calling your name again before seeing the scene. 

It was a family of five all huddled onto the bed. Dead obviously, the parents sitting with their backs against the headboard, holding the three young kids in their arms. All of their bodies were limp. One of the kids practically hanging off of the bed. 

Each one of them with a bullet hole to the head. The rotten flesh hanging from around the entry wound baring a little of the skull. They were all well past becoming infected. Just a place for spores to thrive at this point. Flies and maggots had taken their share before letting the natural course of things continue, letting the bodies stew in the room that they laid. The bodies looked like they were malnourished before death, their cheeks were heavily sunken now and their stomachs were practically no more but you could just tell. Something about them told you that they couldn't go on.

It was a gruesome and sad sight to behold. You couldn't imagine having to not only make the decision to end your own life but to end your children's as well. They must have been desperate. 

You were snapped out of it by Joel sighing gently. "Lets go." He grumbled moving to make his way back down the stairs. 

You gave the room a once over look before spotting a pair of keys on the TV stand. You picked them up and dusted them off of any settled spores before quietly following Joel back down to the front of the house. 

"I think these might be the garage keys." You informed him quietly, holding up the rusty keys hooked onto your finger. 

He nodded as you wandered towards the door. Your whole demeanour having changed after what you just saw. 

You wondered how Joel could just continue on as normal after it. You understood that it was just death and that it was gonna happen to everyone but to see that kind of sight and just to go 'Lets go' didn't sit right with you. But what did you expect? You were warned that he was like that. 

You opened the door up to see a surprisingly spotless garage, and sat in the middle was a Mazda CX 5. You should have known that a family with 3 kids would have a family SUV. It was a little rusted around the edges but being locked up in here sure helped it out. 

You gave a sigh of relief as you wandered around to the drivers side, trying the handle on the door which popped right open. That was good. A good start. 

"You see any other keys anywhere?" Joel asked as he looked around for supplies.

You shook your head gently. "We're probably gonna have to hotwire it." You shrugged.

Joel raised an eyebrow in your direction as you moved around to the hood of the car after popping it open from the inside. "You know how to hotwire a car?" He asked surprised.

You nodded. "Sure." You said briefly before checking to see if everything was intact. "You mind checking to see if there's gas in this thing?" You asked.

Without replying he moved over to the gas cap, opening it up before looking around for something to stick down into the tank. Luckily there were a few gardening supplies tucked away in the corner, a few wooden support canes being part of it. 

He stuck the support carefully down until it hit the bottom. Pulling it back out to see if there were any remnants of gas on it. Which luckily there was. "Looks about half a tank." He took a guess.

You nodded before moving to get under the drivers seat, pulling back a cover to show a few wires and such. "Okay..." You sighed as you tried to remember what to do. 

"You sure you know what you're doin'?" He asked as he looked down at your bent backwards body, your legs hanging outside of the car as your torso laid in the footwell, your stomach peaking out of your stretched up shirt.

"We're about to find out." You replied.

After a few attempts of cutting a few wires, sparking things together, listening to the engine cry as it tried to come to life for the first time in a long time as you forced your elbow onto the clutch to pump some gas into it, you finally got it going.

You couldn't help but let a proud smile pull at your lips. "Holy shit..." You mumbled as you moved out from where you were, looking up at Joel who gave a scoff.

"Would you look at that..." He mumbled, watching as you walked around to the hood pulling it back down before moving around to the passenger side, slinging your bag into the back. 

"Lets get this show on the road!" You beamed excitedly, looking over at Joel who was already getting into the drivers seat. 

After you opened up the garage door with a bit of force you got in watching as Joel revved the engine a few times to make sure that it was gonna go before setting off. 


	4. Don't talk about it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter Warnings: Attempted sexual assault, Blood & Gore, _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! If you wanna skip the chapter because of the warning, I'll put a brief of what happens in the _bottom notes_ so that you don't have to go through the entire thing to get the story. :)

The next week or so was spent in the car, which you weren't mad about. Sure, it was the middle of summer with no air conditioning but at least driving at the speed you were going at got some wind through the windows. You found an old hose that you could use to siphon gas and there was luckily an extra jerry can in the trunk. You assumed the family were gonna use it to leave but never did. Who knows. 

You and Joel took turns driving while the other slept. You'd gotten into a nice routine, and you were actually starting to get along. Sure he was still super closed of, but you could get through a short conversation with him. Which was progress. 

You waved your hand out of the window as Joel drove quietly, feeling the air against your hand. You currently had one leg up on the dash and the other on your chair. You'd taken your shirt off and were down to your tank top which was dirtied with sweat, mud and blood. It was a good look. 

"God I miss the beach." You groaned letting your head hit the back of the seat. 

Joel scoffed as he continued to look forward, a brief slight teeny tiny chuckle accompanying it.

"I do!" You smiled at him. "I remember before everything happened, in the summer my parents would always take me to the beach. No matter where we were. Just find a beach and sit there." You reminisced. "I remember the first time my mom let me wear a bikini to the beach." You giggled.

Joel scrunched his eyebrows. "How old were you before-"

"15 when everything happened." You told him.

Joel gave a look as if to judge your parents decision.

"What? You're telling me you wouldn't let your 15 year old daughter wear a bikini if she wanted to?" You asked. You noticed the shift in him as you brought up letting a daughter. You raised an eyebrow as he went silent before you thought it was best to change the subject.

"I remember when all this shit first started." You hummed. "When everything shifted to Martial law." You babbled as you played with the little air freshener you ripped off of the rear view. It was a little Mickey mouse bobble head thing that hung there. You'd ripped the ears off of it and thrown them out of the window a while ago but the rest was still fun to mess around with. 

Joel just hummed at you, acknowledging you'd spoken but not giving much else. 

That's when you decided it was best overall to be quiet. 

A few hours went by when Joel started to pull up to an abandoned gas station. "We're gettin low." He hummed.

You yawned and sat up properly. "We're pulling in?" you asked, looking over to him. "Thank god, I really gotta piss." You overshared.

He gave a quick nod and a sigh before pulling into a covered part of the station. Hoping that no one was near by. "Be quick."

You nodded as you tucked your gun into its holster. "I will be. Be careful." You told him.

He gave a nod. "I will be." 

The interactions between the both of you were getting better. It made you smile a little. Not that it should, but it did. He was still hard work you couldn't lie. Wherever you made pit stops he was ready to boss you around like a child, which may I add, you were not. 

He definitely thought you were reckless. You weren't so uptight and tense as he was all the time. Which automatically made you reckless. The truth was, you'd grown up in a world where people ate people, where you killed because you had no choice. Sure you got a childhood, but you didn't have half of the old world experiences that the older Miller brother had. 

Both of you had survival punched into you, but you had more time to adjust, your brain as a teenager was more moldable to the idea than Joel's fully grown adult brain who just had to change for survival. 

But he couldn't see the difference. 

You walked around to the smashed in glass door of the gas station before walking in, deciding that before you went to pee, you were gonna look around for any supplies. You found a few things. Some really old candy, a can of expired coke and a pack of gum but other than that there wasn't anything of any use. 

You looked around before spotting the bathrooms, the remnants of a gender sign peeling from the door showing you where to go. 

You walked in and before you could even look around someone barged into you from behind, completely throwing you both to the floor. Immediately you tried to push yourself up, throwing your elbow back into the person as hard as you could. 

You grunted harshly as the side your face was shoved into the dirty, gritty, rubble covered floor. "Get the fuck! off of me!" You struggled. You could feel all of this guys weight being put on you. 

"oh so you think you can come into _my_ gas station, take _my_ supplies and just leave is that it? No no no. You need to pay for what you take, we aren't animals." He spat as he came down to your ear. Pushing your cheek harder into the floor causing it to dig into the cracked tiles. 

You started to panic a little as he forced your arms into a position where you didn't have the strength to move, Pushing your wrists uncomfortably into your back. 

"Now-" He started. "-We can do this the easy way. Or the hard way. Your choice." He panted, keeping you down seeming to be a challenge. When you didn't calm down, or stop fighting he growled. "Fine." 

You could hear the flick of a blade being opened and tried to struggle harder. "JOEL!!!" You cried out loudly before he pressed the knife to the side of your throat, smashing your head against the floor as a warning. 

"Shut the fuck up!" He demanded. "Just fucking stay still." He huffed as he tried to work the back of your jeans down, getting them just passed your ass.

Okay now you were really starting to panic. Your eyes began to water as you felt him claw and grab at you, leaving scratches from his long dirty nails across one of your butt cheeks. A few stray tears running over your dirt covered cheeks as you tried to stay calm. Knowing that one wrong move could lead to a knife in your throat. The blade was already cutting in a little from the angle he was holding it at anyway, definitely enough to leave a thin scar. 

You gasped as he attempted to pull the band of your underwear to the side but before he could do it a loud gunshot rang through the cramped bathrooms. All of a sudden the mans weight fell off of you and to the side, urging you to scramble yourself away to try and pull your pants up. 

You would've tried to hide your crying if you weren't so traumatised. Your whole body shook as you tried to blink the tears away. After a moment you felt a hand brush over your shoulder hesitantly.

"Get the fuck away from me!" You gasped before realising who it was. You blinked the tears away to see Joel stood above you, His own gun in his hand.

"It's me." He told you with a calm tone. "Just me." He sighed as he looked down to the body of the man laying on his front, blood pooling around him. His pants were just passed his ass and his belt had been thrown to the side. 

Joel could feel a sick feeling in his stomach at just the idea of someone wanting to do what he was going to. Glad that he'd gotten to you in time.

"Let's get out of here." He mumbled quietly, holding his hand out for you to take, which after a moment of contemplation you did shakily. 

He helped you up before picking your gun up off of the floor, handing it to you as you adjusted your jeans. You wiped your hand over your cheek to get rid of the last drying tear before making your way out, hurriedly. 

You made quick work of getting back into the SUV, letting Joel finish doing whatever he was doing in there, probably looting the guy for whatever he could before coming back out. 

He got into the car silently, making sure it would start back up before reversing and pulling out of the station. Everything in the car eerily quiet. He looked over to check on you every so often, each time you were in the same position. Both of your legs brought to your chest with your arms resting on them and your head against the window. A quiet sniffle escaping you once in a while. 

For once, Joel didn't nag at you. Didn't call you dumb for not checking your surroundings, nothing. He was just quiet. It wasn't his usual, grumpy ' _I don't wanna be doing this_ ' quiet. He was just, quiet.

You spent the next day or so in the passenger seat, trying to sleep. Everything ached. Your head, your arms and legs, your back. The cut on your throat stung. You were aggravated and nothing felt good. You'd never been in that situation before. As close as it's been sometimes. 

It was starting to get dark out and Joel sighed as he pulled into an empty rest stop. He looked over to you for a moment, looking just as tired if not worse. "Y'alright?" He asked carefully. 

You clenched your jaw a little not in the mood to try and deal with him, assuming anything he was gonna say was gonna be negative. "I'm fine." You lied. 

"You wanna talk about it?" He tried to ask, doing his best to be there.

You scoffed "Since when do you care if I wanna talk?" 

"Y/n you were almost-" He started

"I know!" You snapped. "You know what? I know! and-and I don't need you to fucking tell me- I don't need you to fucking tell me how much of a burden that was on you alright? How I should've been more careful! I'm fine! Whatever you want to hear to make sure i'm quiet! I'm fucking fine!" You stuttered as you fumed. 

Joel sat patiently, his own blood wanting to start boiling but the situation that made you explode stopped him. 

"Just... get out and I'll drive." You practically whispered as you opened your door to get out.

He didn't argue, he just slid out of his seat and switched with you. Watching as you got comfortable in the drivers seat. He could see the scratch and bruise that had formed over your right cheek along with the ones that slid over your arms. A deep frown pulling at his face as he watched you get the car back into gear to start driving once more. 

An hour or so of pure silence passed before Joel straightened himself up. "I..." He trailed off. "I don't think you're a burden." He finished. Keeping his eyes on the road in front as you did too. 

"It really seems like you do." You replied honestly. 

He shook his head a little. "No I just- I wanna get this job done and go home." He admitted. "But what happened back there. That don't make you a burden, you understand?" He informed you. "You could've checked once, twice even three times and that still could'a happened." 

You tightened your grip on the wheel as you listened to him try his best to reassure you. "Right..." You croaked out, afraid that if you spoke anymore you'd start to cry.

"I'm glad I got to you when I did. Even though it should've been sooner." He scolded himself. 

You felt your shoulders sag and a pit in your stomach feel a little heavy as he blamed himself. "You were there in the end..." You told him. "When I needed you, you had my back and- and I'm thankful for that." You worded carefully. Even though you felt like shit you didn't want him to put that on himself.

The awkward brooding tension between you started to disappear after you finally talked it out a little, making the rest of the drive a lot easier to handle. Another hour on the road of silence as Joel slept peacefully next to you. That was until the car started to splutter and stutter to a stop.

"What? No no no!" You huffed angrily as you were pulled out of your mindless driving, you pushed at the pedals before smacking the steering wheel. "Shit." You grumbled as the lights on the front of the car finally faded out, leaving you both in the darkness of night. 

Joel sighed as the car woke him up gently with its movements. "What happened?" He asked a gruff tone to his voice.

"The fuckin' thing just gave out." You informed him as you reached back to grab your flashlight. Moving to get out of the car after popping the hood open. A puff of black smoke escaping into the atmosphere as you did so. 

You coughed a little, unexpectedly breathing in the fumes as Joel got out to take a look with you. "I don't know shit about cars." You coughed.

"You literally jump started one." Joel retorted as he waved some of the smoke away before leaning his hands against the hood next to yours. Both of you looking into it.

"Pretty coloured wires go with other pretty coloured wires to make sparks." You simplified your own thought process. "That's a little different than whatever this is." You said waving your hand over the hot engine. 

He sighed tiredly before rolling his sleeves back up properly. "Just hold the flashlight still for me, and keep an eye out." He ordered before looking down at the cars innards. 

"Yes sir." You mumbled, earning a small glare from him before he went back to it. 

After a few minutes of moving things around and trying to figure it out Joel sighed. 

"What is it?" You asked as you leaned in closer to him.

"Dang thing's outta coolant." He said as he stood back, scratching his head gently.

"Can we fix it?" You asked, watching as he moved around to pull his backpack out from the back seat. 

He walked back over to you, holding yours in his other hand pushing it forward at you. "You got any coolant on you?" He questioned, making you shake your head. "Then no. We can't. A few of the components are broken down from age anyway so the added heat to that thing just made it worse. The likelihood of this thing starting back up are slim to none." He explained.

You sighed and nodded, putting your backpack on. "We're gonna have to find somewhere to lay low, it's way too dark to go far." You told him as anxiety built up in your chest at what could be in the surrounding forestry.

Joel nodded in agreement. "You're right. I saw a motel on the road sign back there. Not far from the next exit." He told you as you started to walk. 

After what felt like hours of walking on your aching legs you reached a run down half knocked over motel. It looked like it had been on its way out before everything happened and then boom it went to complete shit. 

You kept your gun in your hands as you looked around. Your gaze flickering over to Joel every few minutes to make sure he was still with you. Which he was, his tall posture making it known just how tense this quiet was making him. 

"I think we're good." You whispered as you looked towards a few of the rooms, before you could grab the handle in front of you Joel put his arm across your stomach. 

You looked at him quizzically before you heard what he had. A few strangled breaths coming through the slightly open window. 

"Runner?" You mouthed at him to which he nodded. 

"Maybe more. You open the door I'll go in." He ordered through barely a whisper. 

You scrunched your eyebrows and looked at him before shaking your head. "If there's more than one that's gonna be too dangerous." You whispered.

"If there's more than one I got you for back up, don't I?" He tried to reassure. 

You huffed quietly before nodding. You carefully and quietly put your hand on the doorknob raising your gun up as much as Joel had with his own, towards the crack in the door to make sure no matter where, you had the upper hand. 

You twisted the knob until the door clicked open, not moving it until Joel gave you the nod. When you did, your torches shone through and over the room. The runner not in sight. You looked a little confused until you looked down to see it crouched by the side of the door, rocking back and forth a little. Which was horrifying may I add. 

You stopped Joel with your arm and before he could protest you pointed down, making him look at the infected. He gave it the same rather disgusted look as you did before moving to put his gun away, taking out his knife and creeping close enough to the being where he could stab it. 

Which went down smoothly for once. 

You opened the door fully and walked past Joel who started to drag the body out for you both. 

"Check the bathroom, make sure there ain't nothin' there." He grunted as he lugged the body away.

You didn't think anything of it as you walked towards the back of the room to the bathroom. You could feel your whole body seize up as you thought about the gas station. You knew you had to check, to get over this. But it was also still fresh. You reached your hand towards the doorknob but couldn't stop its gentle shaking. 

You just stared for a second. Any thought of reason going out the window as your body tried to force you to panic. That was until Joel caught on, walking over calmly before gently moving you out of the way. 

"I got it." Was all he grumbled before opening the door. Nothing was in there, it was just a small empty bathroom. Which neither of you really wanted to go into so Joel closed it back up. Only after double checking that the window wouldn't open. Which it wouldn't. 

"Right." He sighed as he put his bag down and grabbed his rifle. "I'll take first watch." He decided as he moved to grab a chair to pull towards the window. 

"You sure? I can-"

"You drove last. I'll take watch just... try get some sleep." He explained before turning back to the window. 

You weren't gonna argue, you were exhausted. You plopped your bag on the floor next to the bed before making sure there were no insects under the pillows and such. You crawled onto the old dirty mattress before dropping your head against the pillow. 

Sure there were two beds in here, but you felt much safer sleeping closer to Joel. And he didn't question it so why should you. 

As soon as your head hit the pillow you could feel your eyes getting heavy. Your hand gravitated towards your gun to rest against while you prepared for sleep, and as soon as you felt safe enough. You passed out. 

Leaving Joel to look through a crack in the curtains, just studying the empty parking lot in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for those that skipped through, which is totally fine may I add. 
> 
> It's been a week or so since you started travelling, you still have the car which is a lucky break. You and Joel pull into a gas station to see if there was any left, when you went to go into the back of the station to the bathrooms, someone attacks you and Joel shoots them. You're quiet for a time and Joel tries to ask if you wanna talk about it and you ask him since when did he care and then you assume that he thinks you're a burden before going quiet again. You make up a little and end up at a motel since the car breaks down.


	5. A lucky break.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter Warnings: None,_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're just gonna pretend that I have been updating this and didn't go and disappear for a while :) I'm sorry.

You started to stir gently as you could hear heavy rain and thunder coming from outside. A gentle draft coming under the broken down seals along the windows and door. Considering it was the end of August it wasn't exactly cold. You opened your eyes gently and tried to adjust to the overly dark room, The only light coming between lightning flashes outside. 

Within those flashes you could see Joel's outline, sat exactly where he perched himself hours ago, his head resting on his hand as he stared tiredly out of the window. Each blink slower than the next. The calming rain seeming to do nothing to help keep him awake. 

You felt a little bad for sleeping while he kept watch, even though you knew one of you should always be awake. "Joel?" You called out tiredly. 

"Hmm?" Was all you got in response as he lifted his head, seemingly trying to make it look like he wasn't falling asleep. 

"Maybe you should come and sleep for a little bit." You suggested, a yawn breaking the sentence in two as you rubbed your hair back a little. "We scouted the place out a little, it wouldn't hurt if we both slept. Who knows how long its gonna be until we can do it again." You tried to persuade.

Joel seemed to be on the fence about it. Even though he slept in the car, he was still exhausted. "I'm fine." He lied plainly.

You chewed your lip a little, "I'm sure the rain and storm going on out there is gonna cover any noise we make." You said scooting a little closer to him. 

"And any noise anything out there makes." He counteracted.

You sighed gently. "We can make a sound trap, put it in front of the door." You bargained as you turned your flashlight on, shining it around the room. "There's a stand of old DVDs by there." You pointed out, your finger in the direction of an old stood up little holder, each DVD having its own shelf. "If that thing falls, we'll both hear it." You told him.

He looked between you and the window for a second before sighing. He stood up and moved to place the rifle against the bedside table nearest him before moving to carefully carry the DVDs over to the door, locking it the best he could before placing the object under the handle, now if someone were to push the door open it would send them scattering over the floor, the window's didn't exactly open wide so it's not like something could sneak in through them either.

You smiled a little triumphantly to yourself finally getting him to come lay down. 

You looked over to the other bed and wondered if he'd want you to move before realising just how badly in shape it was, there was no way it would hold you up peacefully, it barely looked like it was holding itself up. So you gave up on the idea and flicked your attention back over to Joel as he tapped your knee.

"Scooch." He grumbled, making you move back over to your side of the bed, letting your head flop back and your body relax into it once more. 

You turned your head to watch as Joel climbed in. Tucking the rifle closer to him and nearing his hand to his gun just to make sure that he could get to it if he needed, and with that, he dropped his head back against the pillow and let out a deep sigh as you turned your flashlight off.

The both of you just laid there for a little bit, in practically the exact position with your eyes closed, your bodies were stiff and you were afraid to move a little just in case it annoyed him. It was like neither of you had slept in a bed with someone before. 

After a few what felt awkward minutes you both finally fell asleep, and blissful it was. 

You were rudely awaken by a loud crash of thunder, rumbling through. Summer storms could be the absolute worse before everything happened, nevermind in a place where nowhere is specifically secure. 

You tried to tiredly get your bearings but refused to open your eyes, whatever position you'd found yourself in you were comfortable, it was nice and warm and the secure arm around your shoulder made you- oh my god you were cuddled into Joel. 

The both of you were awake, and you knew it, he knew it. Now it was just the matter how how to try and get out of this without making the other think that you were awake. Which in turn left you laying there for a little bit just sort of, wrapped into each other. I mean sure you were more curled into him but that's not the point here, His arm was around you too. 

Eventually Joel slowly slipped himself out from you. His body heat dragging with him. This is where you had the brilliant idea to play it off as you were just waking up. 

You grunted gently, feeling him get off of the bed, before opening your eyes and sitting up. 

You watched curiously as he stumbled around the room towards his bag crouching down to rummage through it. 

"Jesus what time is it?" You questioned a little groggily as you looked outside, the dark clouds not really letting you get a good guess in. 

Joel didn't even give you a reply, you assumed he was just in his own world brooding as he normally was. Well you just assumed that's what he would do. 

You looked over to see what he'd pulled out, a few what sounded like metal objects gently clanged together as he assembled something on the floor. You crawled down to the bottom of the bed and looked over his shoulder, It was a little camping stove, complete with gas and all. "Oooo." You hummed intrigued. "What're we gonna do? Go hunt for a rabbit or something?" You queried. 

Joel scoffed gently. "You think we'd find anything out in weather like this?" He retorted. 

You scrunched your eyebrows a little. "I could probably find a frog or something." You told him a little bit of challenge in your voice. 

He just shook his head gently and moved to pull something out of his backpack once more. It was what you would assume is a ration pack? But when was the last time Joel was in a QZ? 

"Where'd you get the rations?" You asked curiously moving to lay on your stomach. 

"What do you think I've been feedin' us with this past week or so?" He grumbled.

Neither of you had really had the opportunity to go and grab anything while you were on the road and every so often Joel would pull something out of his magic backpack for you to share.

God the light in your eyes when he pulled out beef jerky. Sure it wasn't necessarily good but you weren't gonna be fussy in times like these. Food is food. That's the way it had to be. 

"I could go find something out there if you wanna save that for being on the road." You offered to which he shook his head.

"You kiddin' me? Its raining cats and dogs out there you'll get soaked the moment you step out the door." He dismissed.

"The last thing I need is for you to get sick." He grumbled.

You sighed before rolling off of the bed and onto the floor. "Then what are we supposed to do?" You asked.

Joel didn't look up from the equipment he was trying to light it. "Wait out the storm like normal people." He instructed rather than suggested. 

He huffed angrily at his lighter as he tried to light it but the stupid thing had seemingly run out of gas. Out of frustration Joel slung it across the floor, letting the empty little plastic lighter clonk into the back wall. 

You watched as it slid across the gruesome brownish coloured carpet lightly tapping into the wall before your attention went back to Joel. 

"Right..." You trailed off, leaning your back up against the bed frame behind you. "Wait out the storm..." You repeated back to yourself. 

After a few hours of sitting quietly together the rain still wouldn't let up. You and Joel had both come to the conclusion that you were gonna be staying another night. Which you weren't exactly mad about. 

The only problem was the lack of food. You were used to being hungry by now but you knew you were gonna get weaker if you didn't eat something. 

You'd advised Joel to keep the ration pack until later on. Just to make sure you both had something.

You sighed and patted your thighs before standing up. "Right that's it. I'm gonna go snoop." You declared.

Joel looked up from the window "What?" He questioned as he watched you move to grab your knife, putting it in its sheath.

"I'm-" you started slowly. "Gonna go- snoop." You repeated slower. "Theres gotta be something in these rooms for us to eat. And if I'm looking through them I'm out of the rain." You explained, trying to use it as a bargain with him.

"If you go lookin' around then I gotta come with you." He told you.

You shook your head. "No, I'll go look around while you stay and look after the stuff. It'll be fine. I promise." You said making your way over to the door. 

"Look the way I see it is that the rain isn't gonna let up anytime soon. So why not take advantage and try to get supplies." You shrugged, carefully moving the DVD stand out of the way.

Joel sighed. You were right it would be a good idea, but he wasn't going to openly admit it. "Fine." He reluctantly agreed. "But you stay on this side of the motel. Don't go near the caved in side." He instructed as you opened the door.

"Yes sir." You saluted childishly before making your way out. 

"Y/n." He called out before you could close the door.

You stuck your head back in with your eyebrows raised questioningly. 

"Be careful." He hummed. It was more of an order.

You couldn't help the smile that was crawling it's way up your face. "I will be." You replied with a little cheer in your voice.

"Hey Joel?" You called in as he went to look back out the window.

"Mhm?" He asked as he turned to you once more.

"Be careful." You repeated.

You swore you could see the corner of his lips curl slightly, but it was that faint it could have been your imagination.

"I will be." He mumbled with a bit if reassurance in his voice before you turned around and left.

Considering it was August you didn't expect it to be cold. You were about a week or so away from September you could guess. Maybe this was just a warning of how the weather was gonna be for that time. Which wasn't something you were looking forward too. 

You could hear the thunder rumbling towards you in the distance and shivered a little. If you weren't scared of it before, you kind of were now. Not being able to hear your surroundings in this world was dangerous, and the loud snaps of thunder did nothing to help you. 

You shrugged it off and tried to stay under the cover of the motel as you wandered along. Trying every door handle quietly as you did so. Some rooms didn't have doors on them anymore and you mainly assumed that they had been ransacked for what they had. 

After searching the left side of the buildings and coming up with nothing but a lighter, which you immediately pocketed, you looked towards the part that was caved in. It looked like it had been that way for a long time. Maybe some of the stuff was still in there. Maybe people had stayed away from it like Joel suggested. 

Either way you were about to find out. 

You knew you had to walk past the window to get there and Joel would immediately clock you on what you were doing so you decided to crawl under the windowsill on your hands and knees. Leaving your jeans with wet patches over the knees and your hands cold and wet.

You just hoped that he was busy zoning out or something. Too busy to notice you and the slaps your hands made against the soaking wet floor.

As soon as you were in the clear you stood back up and looked around moving towards one of the further away doors. You didn't just wanna go into the room next to the both of yours just in case it triggered some sort of chain reaction and the rest of the motel collapsed. It could potentially happen. Or it could just be you being paranoid.

You tried a few doors down and got into the room, immediately knowing you'd picked a good choice. Everything seemed to be untouched.

You moved towards the big hole in the wall between two rooms and slid through it carefully. The hole in the ceiling letting more water than you were comfortable with in. 

You looked around and spotted something across the brick and wood covered floor. It looked like... a rations box? 

A dark green, rusted, metal military ration box. 

It looked untouched. Other than the natural damage of course. 

You looked down at the small stream of running water between you and the other side of the room. It only looked like a little dip in the floor what could go wrong. 

You went to walk through the water but the moment your foot touched the floor under it, it went through like something through soggy toilet paper. 

You gasped as your leg slipped down, dragging the rest of your body with it as the tissue like flooring started to give way, causing water to rush over you. It wasn't enough to completely submerge you but now you were soaked.

You coughed as a little bit of water found it's way up your nose, taking you by surprise as you struggled to get yourself away from the forming hole that would drop you into a room unknown. 

"Oh fuck." You coughed as you managed to pull yourself out. Only ripping your jeans and cutting your leg a little bit. 

You scrambled towards the ration box scooping the heavy thing up into your arms and holding it against your chest as you watched all of the water disappear into the hole. A black goopy mixture being added in with it as it was sloshed around. 

You pressed your head back against the bottom of the rotten bed behind you as you caught your breath. While doing so you noticed under one of the fallen walls was a body wearing FEDRA uniform. The almost skeletal arm was reaching out over the carpet towards where you were sat as you took the space from the ration box. 

So that's who It belonged too. Noticing that you spotted two more half bodies crushed by the building.

"Jesus Christ..." You mumbled. You could feel your skin growing colder as the bare light you got from the day started to disappear. 

You decided that it would be best if you waited until getting back to Joel before opening this up.

Mainly because you were cold and a little scared right now but that's fine. 

You stood up and could feel the aching in your leg start to flare. Knowing that the slip into that gap was what caused it. 

After stumbling about to find a way out you did. You had to crawl through a little hole to get into another room and use the door. 

You sighed pushing the box through first before starting to shimmy through. "Please don't crush me. Please don't crush me. Please don't crush me." You mumbled nervously as you crawled your way in.

You got yourself to your feet before looking around once more. Spotting a jacket hung up on the wall. "Oh." You raised an eyebrow at it. 

It was a dark brown thick jacket with lighter, what looked like sheep wool, around the collar.

 _That would suit Joel._ You thought to yourself before grabbing it off of the hook and slinging it over your arm. Sure it was gonna need drying out after you'd gotten your mitts on it but after that it would be fine.

You made your way back carefully. Still trying to avoid the rain even though you were utterly soaked through.

Joel jumped a little in his seat and held his gun up to the door as you carefully opened it.

"Just me." You reassured as you limped in lightly.

Instantly Joel noticed that you were drenched. "The hell happened?" He questioned with concern lacing his words as he stood up to move over to you. 

"I slipped." You tried to smile.

Joel just looked at you for a second as you moved over to place the jacket that seemingly had something wrapped in it on the bed. "And fell into a lake?" He asked motioning to your state.

You let out a small giggle. "Practically yeah. No I uh. I saw something over in one of the rooms and made a wrong move." You said putting your leg out to show the rip in the jeans and the graze. 

Joel sighed. "Thought I told you to be careful?" He grumbled before moving to his backpack to get something out.

"I was careful!" You protested as you moved to uncover the ration box. "I found this to make it up to you." You grinned, holding it out.

Joel turned to you after getting some wound cleaning stuff out. "Is that..." he trailed.

You nodded a little excitedly. "Yehuh. I haven't checked inside yet but it's got some weight to it." 

Joel moved over to the little camping stove as he tried to turn it on. "We'll get you outta them clothes before we look in it alright. We need to get them dry." He instructed as he watched you hand a lighter over.

A few flicks and it was done. The room illuminating lightly with a gentle orange glow from the flames.

You nodded as you kicked your boots off. The sound of wet socks hitting the floor shortly after as Joel moved to set them closer to the fire to dry.

He looked up at you and raised an eyebrow. "Get these off. C'mon we can't afford to be gettin' sick." He pointed out looking at your jeans. 

You could feel something bubble in you a little as he told you to take them off. There was nothing sexual about what he said but you couldn't help but let your mind wander a little. 

"Right." You said standing up and shaking them off, leaving you in your underwear and shirt.

"I saw this jacket and thought it was your size." You changed subject a little awkwardly as he rinsed your jeans out before putting them down next to the fire.

He looked up as you held the jacket. It's not something he'd see himself wearing but it was sweet of you to think of it. "Well you best put that on while we dry your shirt." He avoided as he looked over it. 

"Oh that's good thinking." You hummed in realisation, placing it down next to you before grabbing the bottom of your shirt. 

You looked down to Joel who had very respectfully turned his gaze away. Staring down at the flames in front of him. 

You pulled the shirt off that seemingly wanted to stick to your body before rinsing it out over the side if the bed. Trying to keep the actual mattress dry, before handing it to Joel and putting the jacket on, zipping it up loosely to just above your bra. 

"There." You hummed contently. 

Joel turned to look up at you, trying to force his eyes to stay on your face and not look you up and down. In the end his eyes darted to your leg. The one that held the cut. "Lemme take a look at that." He ordered.

"It'll be fine." You tried to brush off. Earning _that_ look from Joel. You know. The look that told you he wasn't asking, he was telling. And there was no way you were getting out of it.

You sighed. "Fine." You gave in as you put your leg out for him. "I'm gonna check the ration box while you do that though." You told him as he put your foot on his thigh to steady your leg as he looked over the graze on your shin.

"Mhm." He hummed mindlessly as he handled your appendage carefully. His large warm calloused fingers brushing over the back of your calf as he looked over the cut.

You could feel your brain trying to make it into something. You really didn't have time to be thinking lewd thoughts of Joel Miller. So you shoved it right back down and continued trying to pry the box open. Taking your knife out in the end to get that under the seal.

After a few moments it popped right open and your face lit up as if it was heaven in a box. "Holy shit..." You smiled.

Joel looked up as he dabbled a cloth with rubbing alcohol on your leg. "What?" 

"This thing has enough rations to feed like four people." You informed him. Pulling out ration pack after ration pack. Looking over the labels and mindlessly reading them out for each one until you got to the last one which was tucked into the very bottom.

"Instant coffee." You hummed showing the print to the older man. 

Joel's eyes lit up at the mention of coffee. His hand squeezing you calf a little, presumably with excitement. "Lemme see that." 

You passed it over when he held his hand out for it, moving to take a look at some of the other stuff which actually had instructions on how to cook and if they needed to be cooked. "You think this stuff is still good?" You questioned as Joel gently moved your foot from his thigh. 

"Probably. These things are vacuum sealed. Normally helps preserve them for a while." He responded as he moved to pull a metal mug out from his bag. 

"Let's get something cooked up then." You said excitedly, moving to cross your legs where you sat on the bed. Your own cold skin startling you. 

It was kind of weird to just be in your underwear, a little embarrassing as well since it was around Joel but from what you could tell he didn't care. 

You watched as he ripped open the packaging to what was apparently a 'burger' in brine. It looked gross but you were hungry enough to not get picky. 

He slipped it into the mug before placing it over the camping stove watching as it started to get hot and sizzled.

"How long do you think these'll last us?" You asked splitting everything down the middle before passing his half to him.

Joel shrugged. "We should probably take our time with them. Who knows how long we're gonna be here." He told you, watching as you stood up to go get your metal mug from your back pack. His eyes wandered over the back of your legs up until the jacket cut him off from seeing anymore past your thighs. 

He rubbed his face with his hand a little and moved to stare down at the fire. He was allowing himself to acknowledge that you were pretty. He'd go as far to say as a little bit gorgeous. But other than that he pushed anything that wanted to stir in him back down. Not allowing himself to get anywhere with those thoughts. Just a nice pair of legs is all...

He snapped out of it when you walked past him, closer than last time but not intentional. His gaze was once again dragged over your legs before your voice dragged him out of it.

"Burgers burning." You warned him as you walked to go sit across from him on the floor. Surrounded by your wet clothes. 

He snapped his gaze from yours down to his burger that was cramped into a little metal mug before pulling it away from the fire. Nearly burning his hand in the process.

You giggled gently before setting yours up to cook it as well. 

This might not be as bad as you thought.


	6. The leaves began to fall.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter Warnings: Period, slight PTSD_

After being stuck in that motel for a few days, the rain finally started to let up. Now you would be in September. The weather had started to get colder and things were generally a bit darker. The leaves on the trees were starting to die off and fall away while everything continued its natural cycle around you. 

You and Joel were still no where near getting to where you needed to be, You were probably just crossing into Tennessee State lines, and Joel was right. There were a lot of roads that would lead you straight there that were broken in or unable to pass through. Which sucked. But whatever, there wasn't exactly much you could do about it other than go around.

About a week into travelling through September you could start to feel the weather difference. Which wasn't pleasant. Luckily for Joel he had the jacket you found for him. It fit him really well, and it suited him at the same time. It really added to the rugged Texan man look. 

"We'll head down here." He said as he pointed to a big sign that read 'Huntsville Mall 2 miles'. 

You watched as he turned to walk down towards the big mall in the distance. "Why are we going to a mall?" You asked curiously. From what you knew, Mall's were some of the worst places to go, since a few of them had been make shift quarantine zones, or people panicked and went to hide in them. 

"You need a coat." He told you. "The further North we go the worse the weathers gonna get." He explained as you caught up to him and walked beside him.

You really needed one. You were already getting kind of chilly, and from what Joel was saying a few days back, the weather around here doesn't normally drop this low. Or it never used to at least. 

You nodded a little. "Maybe we should take a look for supplies too. Maybe hide out for the night." You suggested. Things with him were getting easier. You both proved to work pretty well together when you needed too. Although you hadn't been put in any extreme danger just yet.

You worked into a sort of routine. You both kept each other's backs. Joel would walk into building's first and you would follow, You'd listen to him when he needed to and he'd take suggestions unwillingly when you wanted to help. You slept in shifts like normal but often enough you didn't really have too. Having the place secure happened to be a specialty of yours. You just couldn't risk not having one of you awake. 

"Might be an idea." He replied after some thought. "We'll have to see just how many infected or people are in there. If there's a few, we sneak in then sneak right back out. If there's too many then we won't bother." 

"What if there's no one there?" You questioned.

You watched him as you walked, his hair gently brushing back out of his face in the breeze. He was handsome, his beard was growing a little thicker than normal since he hadn't been able to find a razor. It was cute...

"Y/n! Jesus, you ever listenin' to me?" Joel huffed as you finally snapped out of it. " S'like the lights're on but no ones home." He complained.

You shook your head gently. "I'm sorry what?" You asked, your cheeks growing a little red being caught staring. 

"I said, There ain't gonna be no one there you know that. Just ain't our luck." He stated as he continued down the very clearly abandoned exit ramp towards the mall. Cars were backed up against each other and you had to wander through the middle of them. Quietly of course. 

Joel had told you about a guy he knew who'd always assume that because they were 'open roads' that nothing would be there and he would be as loud as he could to give himself chance to get it out before they'd go back to their 'base'. One day the guy made a big fuck up and a fucking stalker crawled out from under one of the cars and bit him in the ankle.

You didn't know if it was true or whether Joel was just trying to scare you into listening to him, but it worked.

You knew he liked his peace and quiet. You liked to call it 'brooding time'. Because that's all he seemed to do. You didn't exactly have any idea of what was going on in his head but to make the sour face he kept on there at all times you thought it must be bad.

You jogged up beside him as you walked through the cars. "You know if you stay like that the winds gonna make your face stick in that position." You grinned a little as you looked over.

You could see the cogs in his head turning as he tried to get through that sentence. "What?" He asked as he swung his head to the side to look at you, his brows furrowed in confusion and his lips pursed. 

"Your face. If you keep pouting like that it's gonna get stuck." 

He rolled his eyes after realising that you were teasing him.

"Why such the sour face anyway?" You pried a little as you walked, your voice was low but not enough to be a whisper. It was the best Joel was gonna get from you. "I mean being stuck with me can't be that bad right?" You asked, semi joking. Part of you really did feel like you were a burden to him. I mean technically you were. But another part of you saw you both becoming friends. Getting along. Joel was a good guy so far, he just had a strange way of showing it.

It's more of the little things for him, from what you could gather. The simple 'You tired?' or 'Come stand in front of me' was normally his way of showing his worry. 

You liked to think.

He could just want to get you to your destination alive so he can fuck off to some under run quarantine to live out his days.

Joel sighed, seeming to take the question into thought. Earning a small frown. "Lets just get goin'." He deflected. Moving to speed up a little as you both came up to the city.

It had been a while since you'd been in a place like this. Seeing a city that hadn't had the shit bombed out of it was a rare sight nowadays. But the place seemed oddly untouched. Other than the natural decay of literally everything. The walls of the buildings were cracking away, the windows were either cracked, or for the ones lucky enough to remain they had a thick layer of mould or dirt covering them. The roads were also covered with little lines of grass seeping through cracks in the concrete.

Weirdly there were few cars. The ones you did see were stripped of parts or too damaged to even attempt to salvage. 

"Damn..." You mumbled as you looked up at the buildings. "You think there's any form of life here?" You asked leaning over to him a little to talk. The eerie silence of everything keeping you a little on edge. 

All the noise you could hear was the wind. The wind pushed the buildings gently causing them to creak and moan as their support beams stretched. The few trees that were splattered around were rustling a little as their leaves fell off and crumpled up into little balls to roll down the paths before spreading everywhere. 

Joel pulled his rifle from his back as he looked around. "Just- keep it down alright?" He mumbled. "A-And stay close to me." He instructed, watching as you instinctively moved closer to him, letting him go a little in front. 

"Got it." You practically whispered as you continued to walk into the city, towards the big mall that sat smack bang in the middle of it. 

You were on alert, the unfamiliar surroundings of such a crammed space making you uneasy. Cities fucking suck. You'd stick by that as long as you live. At least when you're in small towns or spread out spaces you can see things coming from miles away. With a city, you make one wrong turn and you're clicker chow. 

Making it to the mall was easy enough, you squinted a little as you saw two blurs of colour bouncing around outside the doors of the place. You held your handgun up as you approached slowly. They were too small to be infected, you just didn't know what you were getting into with them.

The closer you got the easier they were to see. there were three wild dogs, two of which were bouncing around and playing, another was sat behind them just watching. You assumed some sort of pack. 

"So there is some life." You breathed. You took some comfort in the fact that they were here. It told you that there weren't many infected about, nothing to chase them off. That you could see anyway.

Joel nodded. "Just be careful, Y'don't know how long they've gone without food. They could see us as prime steak." He cautioned as you continued to walk forward.

"You really think they would take us on?" You questioned, looking over to him. Watching as he kept his eyes on the animals in front.

"Probably not, but if they were desperate enough they'd be willin' to die tryin'." He explained.

You nodded carefully just studying the side of his face for a moment before looking back to the dogs. "You think we should kill em?" You asked, your thought was for food mainly but you weren't doing to bad right now.

You watched as Joel thought about it for a second. 

"No. We don't have anythin' quiet enough for them, and theres no way they'd let us get close enough to stab at em." He concluded. "There ain't enough meat on them to risk a gun shot." He added.

You turned back to the dogs and nodded. "Right, we really need to make a bow of some sort." You reminded.

"I know." He chimed before making his way towards the doors, his eyes darting from place to place as he scoped everything out, you following closely behind.

He watched as the dogs yapped and sprinted away as you both came closer, making their way down the street, running between cars and in the road as they did so.

Joel turned his head to see that you'd already pushed yourself through the broken glass door, the poor attempt of someone trying to lock them evident with the bike chain around the handles. "Y/n." He scolded as he followed after you.

You looked around the large open space, three floors of abandoned stores and facilities. It looked practically untouched. Well from what you could see of the second and third floor they were. The first had seats scattered everywhere, suitcases and luggage bags strewn about the place, a few sets of bones around. Nothing unusual. It was all probably from the start of everything. 

"Woah..." You muttered under your breath before starting to look around, completely ignoring Joel's scolding of you. You still had your gun out but you were much less aware of your surroundings, seeing building after building to explore completely taking your attention.

You set your eyes on a candy store, 'Wonka's factory' in big cursive writing on the sign above the door. Definitely a play on Charlie and the Chocolate factory, It felt like it had been a life time since you'd seen that movie. You smiled before walking over and trying the handle, locked. Luckily the decorative glass on the wooden frame of the door was smashed in so all you had to do was reach in and unlock it from the inside, which was easy enough. 

You pushed the door open with ease, the only thing you could hear was the broken glass on the floor behind it scraping along as the door pushed it aside before you walked in. Looking around at the whole front of the store. 

It was covered in bright Charlie and the chocolate factory drawings, more like the ones from the book. Sure they were covered in mould and damp but they were still recognisable. You started to scan the isles for any sign of candy, anything sugary. It wasn't very often that you got to eat sugar which was a pain since you had a secret sweet tooth.

Joel stood in the doorway leaning against it with his arms crossed. "The hell're you doin?" He wondered, calling out to you. 

"Seeing if theres anything left." You replied very straightforwardly. 

Joel scrunched his nose up as you told him. "This stuff is probably very outta date you know that right?" He warned you.

A quiet scoff came from your mouth as you lifted your head up over one of the isle to look at him. "This shit is full of preservatives." You explained. "It could probably survive a nuclear blast." You blabbered as you continued to look through the shelves. 

Everything was mostly gone, just mushy remnants of showcase boxes, the colours long faded. You continued to look around, for anything. Just wandering from isle to isle, it was kind of like before the infected were around. Well it reminded you of that at least. 

Joel watched you, his eyes darting around every so often as he walked in more. Watching as your brows furrowed, your findings being slim. His eyes followed you as you walked towards the back room before you disappeared behind a broken door. 

He looked around before moving towards the cashier counter, lifting the small part of the counter on hinges up so that he could get behind it. As soon as it got to about 45° the while thing snapped off. Joel's hands were quick enough to catch the crumbling wood, rotten from the inside out. He placed it down before looking around once more, checking to see if there was anything that had been alerted. Nothing.

He walked behind as he could hear you complaining to yourself.

"Seriously? A fucking candy store and theres no candy in sight?" You huffed as you kicked a cardboard box out of your way.

Joel looked under the counter checking the shelves before moving to the cash register, popping it open with ease, sat in the little compartment was a large bag of candy. Completely unopened. 

He pulled it out and looked over it before looking up to see if you were watching before he quietly slipped it into his bag, burying it under a few other things. "You find anything?" He questioned, looking at the frown built onto your lips. 

"Nothin." You sighed before moving back to him. Your shoulders had dropped a little and you waited for him to lead out of the store. "You?" 

He shook his head. "Nope. Now c'mon." He instructed as he moved around the entrance area trying to look for a map of sorts to look for a clothes store. 

You eventually found a big board that had cartoon mascots over it with a map of the building in the middle, a big **_"Welcome to the Huntsville Mall!!"_** across the top of it.

You both looked around it, pointing out possible stores before you decided to look around the board, Pulling it back from the wall a little. On the back of it there were little brochures that had the map printed on it. You quietly got it out before moving back around to give it to Joel. "Look at this." You hummed gently.

Joel's fingers brushed against yours a little as he grabbed the map, completely ignoring it as he opened it up. "This'll come in handy." He praised as he folded it back up, waving it up a little before sliding it into his pocket. "Well done."

You brought your hand back down to your side squeezing your fist together a little, letting your fingers click. "Where should we start?". 

You spent the next two hours going through store after store on the bottom floor, each one bringing up nothing. They'd all been torn apart a long time ago. 

You huffed a little and kicked a chair, startling Joel. 

He turned and looked over at you. "What's wrong with you hm?" He asked throwing his arms up a little, letting his hands slap at his thighs. 

You turned over to him a little and tilted your head. "What?" 

"You've been losin' your temper a lot recently, over stupid little things." He pointed out as you both met back up, standing in front of each other, just outside of the store. "You normally ain't this hot headed."

Your shoulders sank a little as you played with your fingers gently, "I have been?" You mumbled a little, your voice getting much quieter as you realised that you had been. 

He gave a gentle nod as he holstered his gun for a second. "Yeah." 

You chewed your lip a little as you contemplated telling him. It wasn't a big deal you were just always raised in a way that made it awkward to tell people this information. "It's nothing really, I'm just-" You started. "I'm just on my period." You spluttered quietly. 

A switch flipped in Joel's head as he realised. He should've known. His shoulders relaxed a little as you told him. "Oh..." He said quietly. "Right." Was all he said before pulling the map back out, swiftly moving from the subject. 

You moved over and stood next to him, your shoulders bumping a little as you looked over the map with him, your left hand holding one side and his right holding the other. 

"Now there's 'sposed to be a staircase up to the second floor, round here somewhere." He explained, running his finger gently along the paper as he looked for it. 

The paper crinkled a little as he finally pointed it out, a little 'ah!' coming from his mouth as he did so. "All we gotta do is head over there then we can check out the second floor. Maybe even get to the third." He explained before folding the map back up and putting it away. 

You nodded and followed him towards the dark stairway area. It was eerily quiet. You walked through a creaky door and to the left was a gate separating you from the stairs, and to the right were two elevators. 

Joel walked over to the gate and tugged on it a little. The metal rattled as some of the rust fell off but the thing itself didn't budge. "Damn it." He grumbled through gritted teeth. 

You could feel your annoyance growing again but pushed it down, the previous conversation making you aware of just how cranky you were being. You threw your hands up a little as Joel tried to quietly break the lock. 

You turned around to the elevators before walking forward. Tilting your head as you looked down to the wet floor sign jammed between a set of the doors. You wandered forward and looked into the small crack, shining your flash light around the small space before shining it up towards the ceiling. The escape hatch was open an inch. A lightbulb lit up above your head and you started to push the opposite door open. 

After a few seconds Joel caught on and immediately moved over to help you. Both of your strength combined forcing the door into the frame. 

You both looked in and saw a crate on the floor just below the escape hatch. Your gaze was brought to a skeleton that was crouched in the corner, the skull was leaning on the hands as its knees had been pushed into the wall. 

Your lip curled into a look of discomfort before looking up to the escape again. "My guess is that they got stuck in here." You threw out there.

Joel turned his head to you. "What?"

"That skelebro right there. My guess is that they got stuck and people tried to get them out but they were too small to get up there." You shrugged.

Joel scoffed a little. "Don't call them Skelebros." He smiled a little, quickly wiping it off of his face.

You couldn't help but giggle a little hearing it come from his lips. "Why not? It sounds awesome."

"It sounds stupid." He told you as he moved to the crate before cupping his hands to get you up. "Now c'mon."

You moved and put your hands on his shoulders, carefully placing your foot into his hand as he pushed you up. You put your one hand on the ceiling as Joel went to launch you up. "Woah there cowboy." You stopped him. "You're gonna smash my head into the ceiling." You told him.

"I thought that's what we were doin?" He teased you lightly. 

Your jaw dropped open as you put your hand on his head, tugging his hair a little. "No. We aren't doing that." You giggled a little as you started to push the escape open. Something was on top of it. "I'm gonna need you to hold me steady." You instructed. 

He nodded as he looked up to see you stretch your arms up. His eyes dropped down to your bare stomach that was in front of his face, your shirt unwillingly lifting with your movement. 

They lingered as you worked, something in him unwillingly looking. You had a few scars littered across the space he could see. Normal things like slices, scratches, a few stitches scars. 

"Joel?" You called down. 

He snapped out of it and looked up at you, your own neck bent to help you look at him. "What?" He asked. 

"So you didn't hear me." You mumbled before clearing your throat. "I said you can push me up now." You hummed as you moved your hands to grab onto the frame of the escape.

Joel nodded and stood up properly launching you up out of the escape. Keeping his hands up to make sure that he could catch you if you fell back. 

You crawled through and looked around. The shaft doors were already open, seemingly pried off. You turned back to the hatch and looked down at Joel. "Lets get you up here." You panted a little as you hooked your feet under one of the bars on the top of the elevator, lowering your arm down to help him out. 

He grabbed on and you started to pull, thankfully the crate was there otherwise he wouldn't have been able to pull himself up. 

You hissed out in pain as you felt Joel's full body weight pull on you. A harsh cramp coming from your pelvis as you did so, making you squeeze his hand hard while you pulled him up. As soon as he was up you pushed yourself back and grabbed onto your lower stomach. 

Joel knocked the hatch closed before he moved over quickly, hearing the pained noise that came from you. "Hey, you alright?" He asked, his hand moving straight to your shoulder a he crouched down next to you. 

You nodded looking up at him, your eyes had teared up a little but you kept your composure. "Yeah just... Just a fucking cramp." You shrugged off.

He frowned a little before regaining his normal composure. "Right. Well just be more careful next time." He told you holding his hand out to help you up, which you gladly took. 

You watched as Joel climbed out of the elevator shaft, moving to put his hand out for you pulling you up as well.

"Be careful alright." He told you. "We don't know what's on this floor, it might'a been locked up for a reason." He explained. 

You nodded and followed him around. "If there's nothing here then this floor would be a good place to hide out tonight." You suggested. 

He hummed in agreement. "You're right."

You both looked around for a while before you stumbled across a camping store. You excitedly looked over to Joel who was preoccupied with something else. You tried the handle and to your surprise it was unlocked. 

You pushed the door open before freezing completely, the jingle of the bell above the door rang off and it was louder than you expected. 

Joel instinctively turned his head to the sound. Noticing that you'd opened a door. He silently started making his way over, nothing had happened but he was still incredibly cautious. He watched as you propped the door open and started to wander inside. 

His head perked up hearing that familiar, animalistic grunting and growling of infected. His eyes grew wide as he watched one sprinting from around the corner towards you. His body was in panic mode. He started sprinting towards you. 

"Y/N Watch out!" He yelled as he tried to unholster his gun which was strapped in. 

You turned just in time to watch the thing launch itself at you, knocking you both to the floor. You held it away from you as you struggled against it. Its teeth were knashing at you hungrily, bloody spit dribbling from its mouth. It had fur stuck in its teeth which you could only assume was from rats. 

You felt the runner's weight shift from you as a metal bar collided with its skull, Joel coming quickly into view as it moved away.

You pushed yourself away as you shook lightly, a flashing memory and an overbearing feeling of anxiety pushing through you as your brain forced forward the image of the man at the gas station. 

Before the thing could crawl its way over to you, Joel had clobbered it in the head, over and over again until it's skull was spread across the floor.

Your jaw clenched hard enough to make you believe it had locked as you just watched Joel beat into the runner over and over.

Not stopping until he was completely out of breath. He turned his attention to you as he dropped the bar, making his way over and crouching down in front of you. "You're alright." He said quietly, through bated breathes.

You looked up at him as you tried to calm your breathing down. 

Joel's eyes darted across each part of bare skin, inspecting you for bites. His eyes meeting yours once more as he noticed the panic in your eyes increasing as he scoped you out. "Hey, Hey you're alright. Look at me." He told you. 

Your eyes darted back up to his as he spoke. 

"You're alright." He reassured. 

You nodded and finally unclenched your jaw. Your breathing growing steady once more as you calmed. 

As soon as Joel thought that you were okay he got back up to look around. "Good find." He praised you gently as he looked around the store. It seemed practically untouched. There were few camping supplies missing. But not many, everything had just been sat there. 

He moved towards the back as he let you get your bearings, looking over the racks of clothes that were there. 

You stared over to the dead runner across from you. The blood was running gently towards you as it poured out of the being. 

After a moment or so you stood up, brushing yourself down before wandering quietly over to Joel who was turned away.

"Hey, What'dya think?" He questioned as he turned around holding a winter parka. It was a dark navy with a thick brown faux fur lining the hood, the thing had a good few pockets covering the front and was long enough to just cover your butt. 

"It's the thickest, lightest one I could find." He explained as he walked over to you. "Get that backpack off and try this on." He ordered. 

You nodded and shrugged your bag off before dropping it next to you on the floor, taking the coat from Joel before sliding it on, It was a little big but that was good, it gave you a good range of movement. You zipped it up and threw the hood over your head, the fur covering your eyes a little before you pulled it back to see Joel. "Good?" You asked.

He looked over it and looked up to your face with a nod. "Suits you." He hummed before turning around. "We can get supplies from here." He suggested as he started to walk around more. 

You nodded and unzipped the coat before putting your bag back on, looking around too. You wandered to the opposite corner of the room, coming across a case that had a Hunting recurve bow sat in it collecting dust, next to it was a quiver full of pristine looking arrows.

You made quick work of the case, prying it open and pulling the equipment out, moving to attach the quiver to you bag before handling the bow. "Oh hell yeah..." You mumbled as you pulled an arrow out and placed it against the bow, pulling your arm back as you aimed in front of you. "Hey Joel, check this out." You called over.

As soon as he turned he ducked out of the way. "Jesus Christ don't point that thing at me." He scolded. 

You rolled your eyes a little. "I got a good grip on it." You told him before turning to aim at the faux moose head on the wall. Stretching the bowstring as far as you could get it while lining up. You let go and it flew across the store and through the fake eye. You hissed just imagining taking an arrow to the eye. Sure it's not where you were aiming but it was good enough. 

Joel watched as it went flying, surprised that you actually hit it. "C'mon it's gettin' dark out lets find somewhere secure to stay." He told you as he watched you walk over to the moose head, putting your one foot on the wall to pull the arrow out. 

After you'd done it and jumped down from the counter and trailed after Joel. You looked around for a secure building when a barber shop caught your eye. The windows were covered with the metal security casing and the door was completely blacked out. "How 'bout there?" You asked pointing over to it. 

Joel's head turned towards it and he considered it. "It's a good idea. Place seems pretty safe. Well safer than anything with windows." He acknowledged as you both walked towards it. 

You tried the door but carefully cracked it open to see if there was a bell above it, luckily for you there wasn't. You pushed it open and looked around, The only light in the room coming from the door. 

You silently walked in with your gun raised, scanning around the room before deciding that it was clear. "We're good." 

Joel nodded and holstered his gun. "Alright. I'll go get some supplies from the camping store. You stay put and make some room for us." He ordered.

"You got it boss." You replied as he walked back out.


	7. Just a little off the top.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter Warnings: Tension?, Smut, Making out, grinding, hair pulling, dirty talk, choking, angry sex, face fucking, swallowing_

You cleared the floor a bit with an old broom that you'd found in the back, brushing all the rubble and dirt out of the way. Now you could really see the black and white tiles on the floor of the barber shop. 

You turned to the door to see Joel wandering back in with his hands full. He had two sleeping bags tucked under his arms, a few camping lanterns hooked onto his jacket and some other things. 

He threw them down onto the floor and placed the lanterns down too. "There." He hummed gently as he moved to unroll his, laying it down before moving to yours and laying it next to his. He moved to close the door putting the bar down on it before taping the bell from the camping store above the door. 

You watched as he worked for a moment before setting up Joel's camping stove. You still had some rations left and you planned on being able to eat them cooked. You could hear each of the lanterns clicking as Joel started them up, each of them full of gas to light it. This place really was untouched. 

The room warmed up nicely with each lantern, A nice glow of the place made everything feel kind of homely. 

"There." Joel grunted as he put a chair against the door. 

You smiled a little as you looked up at him. Your cramps making you want to cry a little but you smiled through it. 

"What're we eatin' today?" He asked as he walked over. 

You sat on your knees and smiled. "Well today I was thinking we could have-" You started as you began reading the printing on the rations. "a portion of precooked rice with a spreading of beef paste atop of it with a garnishing of crushed instant crackers." You grinned.

Joel made a dramatically impressed face. "Well you shoulda told me we was eatin' fancy. I would've put my suit on." He said sarcastically. 

You rolled your eyes and smiled. "Nevermind a suit, a hair cut would do you good." You told him honestly. 

Joel scoffed as he watched you start to cook everything. "Yeah that would be good." He hummed.

Your gaze flickered between your food and him before a lightbulb went off. "I'll give you a haircut." You told him as you mixed the packs of food to heat them up.

He raised his eyebrow at you. " 'Scuse me?" He asked. 

"We're in a god damn barbers. I'm sure there'll be a pair of scissors in here somewhere. I'll trim your hair up for you, and your beard." You told him. 

"I can do i-" 

"I know you can do it but it's easier for me to do it. You know it, I know it." You told him, basically solidifying the fact that you were going to do it. 

He silently complied and waited impatiently for the food to be done. Which didn't take long considering it was already cooked it just tasted better warm. He watched as you crushed the crackers over the top before handing it to him after splitting it into the bowls from the camping store. 

He gave you a nod as he took the hot bowl and started to dig in, shovelling mouthful after mouthful of hot food into his mouth. 

You took a few bites at a time, quite the opposite of Joel who devoured it as if it was his last meal or someone was gonna steal it. You preferred to savour it, sure it didn't taste good. But it was the best you were gonna get.

After an hour or so your tiredness really started to show, it was the first time your body could relax in a long time. Sure you were still on alert but that became natural instinct at this point. You looked over to Joel who was sat in one of the hairdressing chairs with his head leaning against the back, his eyes closed and his arms crossed. 

You quietly got up and started to wander around once again. Looking through different drawers before looking on top of one of the counters to see a disinfection jar that had a pair of scissors, a comb and a pair of thinning scissors in it. The bright blue liquid that you dreamed of drinking as a kid, long gone at this point. 

You pulled it out and made sure that everything was in working order, which it was. You grabbed them all before moving over to Joel, placing them on the counter behind him before turning him in the chair towards the mirrored wall.

"What're you doin?" He sighed tiredly as he opened his eyes to be greeted with himself in the mirror.

You walked back over placing one of the lanterns on the side. "Giving you a haircut." You told him as you moved to stand behind the chair running your hand through Joel's hair. You could immediately feel him tensing up. Just the contact alone doing it to him. 

He sighed as he sat up more to bring himself up to the right height for you. "If it'll get you off my back fine." He reluctantly agreed. 

You smiled gently as you ran your hands through his hair gently, taking out any big knots that came along, it wasn't many but there were a few. 

He slowly started to relax into it, your nails dragging along his scalp gently each time before you moved to use the comb on him. It wasn't long before the once forgotten sound of the scissors cutting his hair started as you gently took parts off, trying to keep it as neat as you can, even though that really didn't matter anymore. 

He watched you in the mirror as you did so, your face was full of concentration as you gently pulled parts of his hair between your fingers, humming lightly as you went along. 

It didn't take you very long to sort his hair out, It looked kind of nice actually, just his normal cut but neater. "Awesome." You said softly brushing the hair off of his shoulders as you looked at him through the mirror, moving your hands to his head to turn it from side to side to look. "Now onto your beard." You smiled.

Joel watched as you moved around him to take the thinning scissors before standing in front of him. You bent over towards him and put your hand on the arm rest. Now you were face to face with him. A toothy grin appeared as he raised an eyebrow at you fighting the urge to look at your ass in the mirror. "You really don't gotta-"

"For once, shut up Joel." You interjected as you moved to start combing through his beard before taking little bits off at a time.

After a few seconds you huffed, your back was aching and the state your ovaries were in right now didn't help it. "I gotta get closer." You told him before moving to plant yourself in his lap without a thought. 

"Woah- Jesus- Y/n the hell're you doin?" He breathed out a little surprised, his hands immediately moving from the arm rests as he didn't know what to do with them, just holding them up lightly.

You looked at him. "I just gotta get closer." You told him. "This is perfect." You mumbled gently as you shifted in his lap, getting closer. 

Joel looked over you for a minute before clenching his jaw and putting his arms back on the rests, his fists clenched slightly. 

You continued to gently shave off inches of his beard, the thinning scissors helping to keep most of it on, just cutting it to a more comfortable length. Anything you felt in your gut right now you blamed on your period. The heat building up in you as you got closer to Joel, your cheeks going red. It was all because of your period right? Y'know how your sex drive gets harsher when you're on. Yeah that's definitely it. 

You took a breath and shifted a little, feeling Joel shift at roughly the same time, brushing your hips together. You both just stared for a moment before you continued to try and cut his beard up a little. You held his jaw and turned his head to the side to cut a little bit off before turning him back to you so you could look over everything. 

He looked back at you, his lips plumped out a little bit from where you were holding jaw as he blinked slowly at you. Something was going on right now. Joel's fingers twitched as he moved them towards the edge of the arm rests, closer to your hips. "So uh... How's it look?" He breathed. 

At this point you'd gotten much closer. To the point where your chest was almost touching his. "Really good." You whispered back before instinctively pressing your lips to his. The instant they came into contact everything got much needier. 

Joel's hands found your hips with ease, squeezing the flesh between his fingers gently as he pulled you almost impossibly closer, roughing up the kiss a little. You let out a quiet whine against his lips as you both put your all into it, grinding your hips down onto him with needy motions.

His fingers gripped into your flesh a little more as he ground his hips up into yours. You dropped the scissors on the floor and moved your hand to his hair grabbing a fist full and tugging gently, earning a groan from him. 

You finally pulled your lips from his and moved to his neck, using your leverage on his hair to pull his head to the side for you to get at him more. 

At this point Joel was pushing and pulling your hips against him, clearly hard under his jeans as you both used the friction to your advantages. He rolled his own hips against yours as you did so, sweet moans and curses coming out from under his breath as you did so.

This went on for about five more minutes before a loud crash was heard outside of the barbers. You gasped and instantly stopped, throwing yourself up and stumbling over to your bag, your legs felt like jelly but now really wasn't the time to be getting fussy about it.

Joel cleared his throat before getting up himself, His hard on very visible under his clothes. He nodded as you passed over his gun, the both of you wiping your lips, Joel did his with his arm and you did yours with your fingers. You put all the lanterns out before slowly moving towards the door.

Joel watched as you moved the chair and pulled up the barrier bar before he reached up and held the bell so that you could open the door slightly. You slipped out and had your gun raised, the only thing giving you light was the moon through the glass roof. 

You looked around and made sure that the floor you were on was clear before moving to look over the ledge to the bottom floor where the sound came from. You let out a quiet breath of relief as you saw what caused the noise.

Joel walked up beside you and looked over the fencing. "What was it?" He whispered. 

"Just the window frame from that store right there." You said pointing out to one of the first stores that you could see coming in, the white frame of the window sat broken on the floor with glass shattered around it. 

He let out a sigh of relief before looking over the side of your face. The second you turned to him he turned away and stared down at the floor beneath you. "Lets... get some sleep." He sighed before turning on his heels and walking back to the barbers.

You frowned a little but followed behind him, your eyes darting down to the bottom floor once more before going with him. When you both got back into the barbers you went straight to your sleeping bag, sitting down on it with your legs crossed as you watched Joel fix the traps back onto the door. Obviously facing the sleeping bags towards it just in case you need to see whats there. 

He moved to his own sleeping bag not looking at you. He grunted gently as he got down onto it. His knees cracking as he did so. You both shuffled about to get into the insulated bags. Silence quickly taking over the room as you laid there staring at the ceiling. Thinking back on what happened. 

You gulped gently and clenched your thighs to try and subdue the burning feeling in your stomach and the throbbing feeling between your legs. You huffed a little frustratedly and shifted to your side, away from Joel. 

After a few more minutes of trying to sleep you finally dozed off, shifting around in the sleeping bag as you did so, finding the odd comfortable position for a few minutes before shifting again.

Joel stayed awake, thinking about the mistake he just made. He shouldn't have let you do that. He shouldn't have been hoping that you were going to do that. He shouldn't have enjoyed it so much. Whatever. He tried to brush it off, surely it was just because he needed to get off right? Sure lets blame it on that. 

He closed his eyes and shifted around a little trying to find a comfortable position, deciding that on his side was comfiest. He opened his eyes to see you face him. Your eyes closed gently and your mouth slightly agape as you took slow deep breathes. 

He clenched his jaw looking at how peaceful you were, his eyes lingering on your lips more than he wanted them too, aggravating himself. He huffed and forced himself to turn over to face away from you, shutting his eyes and trying to fall asleep. 

The next few weeks between you were awkward, tense, quiet, and many more things. Now you were nearing October, the trees were practically bare of leaves and you'd just gotten past Nashville and you were on your way to Kentucky. Hopefully you'd be able to cut your way through Kentucky towards West Virginia, since the border bridge you needed to cross was in New York.

You kicked a few pebbles as you trailed behind Joel, your last car had given up on you about 5 miles back and it had put Joel in an even worse mood than normal. Right now you were in a town called Bowling Green. You looked around as you shoved your hands into your coat pockets. You turned your head and saw a red brick building with a sign outside. 'Bush Wayne MD' 

"Joel maybe we should check in there for sup-"

"No. We gotta make tracks so we don't got time to stop." He replied bluntly. 

You clenched your jaw and raised an eyebrow at him. 

_Why are you listening to him? You're a god damn grown up you can do what you want._ Your inner voice egged on.

You ignored his comment and moved to storm towards the building, pulling your knife out as you did so.

Joel caught a passing glance of you as he looked at the building, having to double take before letting out a deep growl. "Y/n, get your ass back here." He ordered. 

You ignored him as you tried the door which swung open with ease. 

He looked around as he threw his arms up in the air before storming after you. He walked in and looked around to see a freshly dead clicker on the floor, still spitting blood as he stepped over it.

He watched as you checked each of the rooms down the hall, making sure that nothing was in them. He could hear the occasional runner or clicker before a loud smashing and a body dropping. 

You finally got to the doctors office at the end and started looking around, walking around the medical examination bed in the middle to check the drawers, finding a few bottles and such as you put them on the counter. 

Joel walked in with pure anger in his eyes. "What the hell is your problem?!" He growled as he walked forward, the weighted door closing behind him.

You spun around and looked at him. "My problem? Oh I don't have a problem but you apparently do!" You spat back.

He gave a semi insulted glare at you. "I have a problem? Oh Excuse me Miss 'I had to shoot a military general'!" He bickered rather childishly. 

"That had nothing to do with you! I didn't fucking ask to be wanted by FEDRA!" You retorted. 

"Oh you didn't ask my ass! Being a part of the damn fireflies is asking for a death sentence!" He huffed as he walked closer. "Y'know my life would've been so much easier if you hadn't gone and fucked it all up by dragging me into your shit!" He fumed.

You glared at him, feeling a headache start to form in the front. "I didn't fucking drag you into this! You agreed to take me to the fucking border! Stop acting like it's all my fault!" You growled starting to get really angry. 

"All you do is go against anYTHING I SAY!" You exploded as you started to yell. 

Joel's lip twitched a little as his shoulders tensed harder making him step forward. "I don't care about what you gotta say you just need to FUCKING LISTEN TO ME!!" He chastised.

"MAKE ME!!!" You snapped.

You both stood a foots length apart breathing heavily, your last comment making everything go silent. 

You stared at each other, your chests rising and falling quickly. Before you knew it Joel had pushed himself against you, forcing his lips against yours. 

You gripped his coat and tried to pull him closer as he pushed you against the exam bed forcing your legs against the wooden side of it. 

He slipped his tongue into your mouth messily as you kissed almost rough enough for teeth to clash. You gasped against his lips as you felt the cold of his hands up your shirt moving to grab onto your breast a little harshly, not enough to cause pain. 

You hummed against his mouth as you moved your hands to his belt, quickly shifting to undo it, the entire time your lips never left his, the noises in the room containing you both trying to breath through your noses. 

You got his belt undone and unbuttoned him with ease before pushing his jeans down enough to put your hand in. Unlike him you had much warmer hands, they were still cold but not to the extent of his. 

You easily found his half hard shaft and wrapped your hand around it pumping gently before finally pulling away from the kiss, a string of saliva connecting you. You pulled your hand out of his boxers and spat on it as he moved to your neck biting and kissing as he grumbled at you.

You moved your hand back into his boxers and rubbed the spit into his cock. Pumping him with ease as you did so, earning a deep moan from him.

"God you're hard fucking work." He growled. 

You scoffed breathlessly as he moved his hand back up your shirt after unzipping your coat. His other hand easily slipping past your now unbuttoned jeans and into your panties. "I-I'm hard work? Try working- fuck try working with you." You stuttered as he teased your clit, his cold fingers working wonders on you.

You squeezed his cock each time you got to the tip earning him to buck his hips every time. 

"Yeah?" He growled moving his middle finger over your already slick hole, collecting as much as he could of it and rubbing it up towards your clit, soaking his finger in before slipping it into you. "Well if you weren't a dumbass you wouldn't be stuck with me would you?" He goaded. 

You gripped the base of his cock a little feeling his finger slide in. "Fuck~" You moaned as you dropped your head to his shoulder, watching your own hand working him. "I-I" You stuttered once more unable to find words as he slipped in his second finger, fucking you on them like a perfectly made machine.

"Huh? C'mon pretty girl spit it out." He dared, picking up the speed of his fingers sending them deep into you. 

You arched your back a little as he did so, rolling your hips against his palm, your clit grazing it perfectly. "Oh fuck Joel." You mewled, using your free hand to grip onto his arm.

He grinned a dark grin before pulling his fingers out of you, bringing them up so that he could look at them. 

You continued to pump his cock as you watched him step back a little to show you. 

"Look at the mess you've just made." He panted, his hips lazily fucking your hand. 

You watched as your slick dribbled down his fingers gathering at the base of them a little. 

"The least you can do is clean it up." He ordered offering you his fingers. 

You didn't even think before you opened your mouth, the minute you did he slid them in. "God not only are you a pain in my ass but you're a real slut aren't you girl, huh?" He teased, his voice deep as he watched you take his fingers to the back of your mouth and towards your throat as your tongue worked its way between his fingers. 

He let out a deep hum as he watched you, his pupils were practically taking over his iris at this point he was that worked up.

He pulled his fingers out slowly, watching your lips the entire time. After a second he pushed his boxers down past his hard cock watching as it practically bounced out. "Spit on it." He smirked. 

You leaned over his cock and let a string of spit dribble out of your mouth and onto it. Joel kept his hand under it to catch any that slipped off before rubbing it in. 

"Get those down and bend over." He growled deeply as he snapped the band of your underwear against your skin. 

You complied quickly as you pulled your jeans and panties down before he spun you around and pushed you over the exam bed. He rubbed his cock against your ass, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth as he squeezed your ass cheeks together for more friction. "Look at you..." He mumbled before slowly pressing the tip against your entrance.

He didn't give you much time to prep before he pushed in, a heavenly moan escaping him as he grabbed your hip. "Holy shit." He panted.

You let out a moan as you dropped your head forward onto the bed. "Jesus Joel..." You moaned. 

It wasn't long before he started thrusting, they weren't gentle. This was a pure anger fuck, and boy was he fucking you. All of his anger into you. 

Over and over he shoved his cock into you, brushing past each and every sensitive spot. His fingers were digging into your hips as he used them for leverage. "You really think you can get away with the shit you keep pullin?" He jeered through a moan. "Think you can just act like a fucking brat and get away with it?" 

You gripped the side of the bed and tried to string a sentence together the only thing coming out of it being whimpers or moans. 

"Cat got your tongue huh? Not so talkative when you're being rammed are you?" He smirked as he fucked hard into you.

"Oh fuck Joel I-" Before you could finish it he'd grabbed your hair and pulled your head up, not too roughly, just enough to send a shock through you.

"I'm sorry I couldn't hear you? What was that Y/n? " He panted as you arched your back.

Your eyes rolled back a little as you closed them. "Joel~" You whined. "H-harder." You practically begged as you got closer. 

He scoffed and grinned. "This all you needed? Just needed a cock fucking this tight pussy of yours?" He sassed. He could feel his own build up getting close. "God it's fucking tight." He moaned as he fucked harder into you, dropping his head back for a second. 

You tried to nod but the hand in your hair prevented it. "Gonna fucking cum." You whined feeling the friction of your pelvis against the bed sending you closer

"You know what? That's alright. Any time you don't wanna listen to me I'm just gonna have to bend you over and fuck you aren't I?" He cooed as his hips started to stutter.

You nodded and let Joel control your head staying up before he pulled you back even more to wrap his hand around your throat, pulling your shoulders to his chest putting your head next to his. 

He tightened his grip around your throat and each time he did you clenched your pussy around him. "You gonna cum huh?" He groaned. "C'mon darlin' cum on my cock. Show me just how good it feels." He cooed.

It didn't take long at all for you to cum, you held his wrist tightly as all of the sensations overwhelmed you, causing you to let out a long moan of his name as you practically collapsed onto his cock.

Joel watched for care intently as you did so, his eyes lighting up at the bliss he had just caused. "Atta girl." He panted, his cock aching to release. "I ain't gonna last." He whined a little. "On your knees." He ordered as he pulled his cock out of you.

You didn't have much choice in the matter as your legs gave way and you slipped onto the floor, your jeans crowding at your knees as you looked up at him. He looked gorgeous from this angle. All red and sweaty his chest rising and falling quickly as his hand pumps his cock. 

You opened your mouth and he wasted no time thrusting his cock in almost choking you as he hit the back of your throat. 

"Y/n..." He breathed as his hips stuttered a little feeling the warm wetness of your mouth.

He didn't give you a chance to make any sort of moves as his hips started to thrust in and out of your mouth, letting the saliva gather at the corner of your lips. He tapped your chin gently and you looked up from his cock. 

"Look at me... Look at me. Wanna see that face when I cum." He panted as he fucked into your mouth. 

You hummed around him as he spoke to you making his mouth drop open. 

"H-Holy shit." He breathed as his movements got sloppy, the feeling of your mouth mixed with the vibrations of your voice completely sent him over the edge. "Hng- Fuck Y/n!" He moaned as he forced his cock deep into your throat. Letting himself spill as he did so.

You rubbed his thighs gently as he came. You swallowed around him gulping down what he gave you but also trying to breath.

He let his body hunch over as he put his hand on the bed behind you. "Fuck thats it..." He breathed before finally pulling out as he started to get soft. 

You spent the next few minutes quietly getting redressed, the only noise filling the room being your belts and backpack noises and such.

You fixed your hair up into a hair tie or what you could get into a hair tie before shoving the bottles of meds you found into your backpack. 

You turned back to Joel who was looking at you, a tired look on his face as he waited. "You ready to find somewhere to lay low?" He asked, his voice hoarse and deep from the previous events. 

You gave a slow nod as you walked over to him. "Yeah... Let's get the hell out of here." You told him as he opened the door for you.


End file.
